Former First Overall Pick Confused By Hawks Tenure, Ready for Fresh Start on Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a savvy trade a few months ago when they were able to acquire former first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks for the price of Ryan Nembhard, a player who had just gone undrafted the year before, and a second-round pick.

Since then, the Hawks traded Nembhard, along with Buddy Hield, to the Charlotte Hornets for another former Maverick, Dorian Finney-Smith. The Hornets then waived Nembhard on Saturday, and if he clears waivers, the Denver Nuggets are expected to be the frontrunner to sign him to a two-way contract.

While Risacher wouldn't have gone first overall in most drafts, the 2024 draft was a historically weak one, and now he already has a fresh start.

However, he's still a little confused about the end of his tenure with the Hawks.

“I feel like I had a good first season. I was told I... exceeded expectations. It was really surprising to me, this second season, I didn’t really know much about what was happening," Risacher admitted in an interview with "Locked On Mavs." "I was a part of a team that was competing for a playoff spot, and I understand it’s a part of the game... Someday you could be somebody that's valued, that matters to a team, and someday...”

Zaccharie Risacher was left wondering what happened with the Atlanta Hawks after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks pic.twitter.com/2k4swojcY3
— Locked On Mavs (@LockedOnMavs) September 26, 2026

Zaccharie Risacher Felt the Pressure of Being the First Pick

Saturday marked the start of training camp for the Dallas Mavericks, as they held their first practice.

Afterwards, Risacher admitted that he absolutely felt the weight of being the top pick.

"Definitely was a lot of pressure, but at the same time, everything happened so fast that I just put the work in. As an NBA players, there's so [many] games to get ready [for], you don't have time to think about that," Risacher said.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Zaccharie Risacher (10) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Risacher tried to stay focused game-to-game and on making the right play, the pressure of being a first pick can be a lot, especially once they bench you.

Risacher started just 46 games last year after starting 73 as a rookie, also taking a step down in scoring, going from 12.6 PPG as a rookie to 9.6 PPG last season.

A new team and a new city should be a great opportunity for Risacher. He has two other former first overall picks to learn from, as Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving are the faces of the franchise, and he has a coaching staff that seems more willing to let him grow.

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