Dallas Mavericks Make Expensive Contract Decision on Former First Overall Pick

The deadline to pick up or decline the team options for 2024 first-round picks is coming up, and one of the more fascinating decisions in the NBA was what the Mavericks would do with Zaccharie Risacher.

They acquired the former first overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks for the measly price of Ryan Nembhard and a second-round pick, but because he's a former top pick, that team option for his fourth year was a little pricey.

Given how his tenure in Atlanta went, many would've understood if they declined the option and looked to re-sign him on a cheaper deal.

Instead, the Mavericks announced on Wednesday that they would be picking up Risacher's fourth-year team option, which will come at a $17.4 million price tag.

That's probably a little too expensive, given his current offensive production, but he still has a lot of potential, and it costs the Mavericks essentially nothing to get him.

Worst case, the Mavericks can package him as an expiring contract in a bigger trade, but he has shown to be useful in the few games the Mavericks have played so far.

Oct 16, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks on during the game between the Mavericks and the Hawks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Case to Keep Zaccharie Risacher

If you look at Zaccharie Risacher's offensive production so far this season, you're probably wondering what the Mavericks are doing.

He's only averaging 8.0 PPG and 1.5 APG while shooting a ghastly 30.8% from the floor and 17.6% from three (3/17 in total from deep). Risacher just isn't comfortable on that end of the floor yet.

Where he has been thriving is on the defense end, already totaling 8 steals and 8 blocks, which is tied for the league lead in total stocks.

Risacher gave Tyrese Haliburton a lot of issues in that game against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, and he'll have another tough matchup tonight against the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His length, speed, and athleticism can be a real weapon on the defensive side.

Dusty May on Zaccharie Risacher’s effort:

“Zacch is finding himself now. He’s still so young. We really value and appreciate those plays. However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls, blocks, steals and rebounds and the ones that don’t show up…” pic.twitter.com/QTkyxUg3yo
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) October 27, 2026

“Zacch is finding himself now. He’s still so young. We really value and appreciate those plays. However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls, blocks, steals, and rebounds, and the ones that don’t show up, where he just gets a hand on it... and then our guards take it out, there's no stat for that," head coach Dusty May said after Monday's win against the Miami Heat.

The new front office of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz seems to really value what Risacher could potentially bring to the franchise, and it helps that he doesn't have the pressure of being a first overall pick anymore.

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