The Mavericks didn’t just stumble into Zaccharie Risacher. According to Zach Lowe of The Ringer, Dallas had been pushing for the former first overall pick before the three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder ever came together.
Lowe said on a recent episode of his podcast, "From what I had heard, Dallas was knocking on the door about Risacher when it seemed like the Hawks might be amenable, and they had to find a third team because the Mavs did not have much of what the Hawks wanted," Lowe said on a recent episode of his podcast.
That’s where Oklahoma City entered the picture, and the trade quickly took shape. The final deal sent Risacher to Dallas, Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta, and three second-round picks to OKC.
The structure of the move initially made it look like Dallas was simply taking on Risacher’s contract while Atlanta landed the better-known defender in Dort. But Lowe’s reporting suggests the Mavericks were the team driving the Risacher pursuit, even if they needed help to make the numbers and assets line up.
"In came Oklahoma City, who is now under the second apron, and the Hawks picked off two of the Oklahoma City casualties."
It’s a sharp bit of business for a Mavericks front office that appears to be operating with a clear plan. With limited assets to work with, Dallas is leaning into the kind of move that can pay off later: targeting players who still have value, even if they come with questions.
Risacher was the first overall pick two years ago. The source notes that while it may have been a weak draft and he might slot in the mid-lottery in a more typical year, he still brings talent, and Mike Schmitz has reportedly watched and wanted him for years.
That’s what makes the price so interesting for Dallas. The Mavericks got a player with real upside for someone who was undrafted a year ago and not viewed as part of the team’s future, plus just one second-round pick.
Dallas may be light on second-rounders now - the team received a top-55 protected pick in 2027 in the deal - but the source also points out that more picks could still be created by moving P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, or possibly Klay Thompson.
For a team short on assets, this is the kind of gamble smart front offices make. The fit with the Mavericks’ current wing-and-forward-heavy roster can wait.
First comes the talent. Then comes the rest.
In Other News...
Mavericks Are Flirting With A Problem Fans Know Too Well
ESPNs offseason grades landed on a B- for the Mavericks, and the number itself is almost beside the point. The bigger issue in the breakdown is the shape of the roster, which still looks lopsided after Dallas added pieces this summer. The frontcourt is crowded enough to create real questions about how the rotation will sort itself out, while the backcourt remains thin enough to leave the team exposed if the guard play does not hold up.
For Dallas, the concern is not just depth in the abstract, but how hard it is to patch the problem from here. The Mavericks are short on true ball-handlers, and the roster math makes another addition difficult unless they create room first. That leaves the team trying to balance a heavy front line with a limited group of guards, a familiar kind of construction issue that can become a lot more obvious once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face One Tough Roster Decision Around Flagg And Kyrie
The Mavericks have spent the summer reshaping the roster around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and the front office has clearly not been shy about adding more pieces. Dallas drafted Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea, acquired Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovi, and also brought in Zaccharie Risacher, leaving the team with a deeper, more varied group than it had before the overhaul began.
Now comes the part that is always less glamorous than the shopping spree. Dallas is carrying 16 players and has to get down to 15 by opening night, which means someone has to go, and the real squeeze is showing up in the frontcourt and at center. P.J. Washington, Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. all bring power-forward traits, while the middle of the floor remains unsettled enough that the Mavericks are still sorting through how the rotation should actually look once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]