The Mavericks still have a decision to make on Zaccharie Risacher, and the clock is ticking.
Dallas did not pick up Risacher’s $17.4MM rookie scale option for 2027/28 when it exercised Cooper Flagg’s earlier this month, but the team has until Monday to change course. Through four games, the former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t found his shot - he’s hitting just 30.8% from the field and 17.6% from three - yet he’s making plenty of impact on the other end. Risacher is tied for second in the NBA with 16 “stocks” and has piled up eight steals and eight blocks.
“Zac is finding himself now,” head coach Dusty May said. “He’s still so young.
We really, really value and appreciate those plays. However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls and blocks and steals and rebounds.”
If Dallas exercises the option, Risacher’s 2027/28 salary becomes fully guaranteed and he’d be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2027 offseason. If the team passes, he would be headed for unrestricted free agency next summer.
Elsewhere in the Southwest, Rockets center Alperen Sengun is dealing with a back issue that could cost him more than just one game. He had already been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup in Milwaukee with low back soreness, and head coach Ime Udoka said on SportsTalk 790 in Houston that the injury tightened up during Monday’s game.
“After (Monday’s) game, got a little imaging done and saw a mild strain,” Udoka said. “… Hopefully it’s short-term, a few games at most. Looking forward to having him back quickly.”
Former NBA center Omer Yurtseven is also back around the Rockets organization, though not on a standard NBA contract. He didn’t land a training camp deal with any team this summer or fall, but Eurohoops reports that he’s participating in camp with the Rockets’ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Yurtseven has four years of NBA experience and 122 regular season appearances, including nine games with Golden State last season.
And in Memphis, Ty Jerome is turning a strong offseason into a scorching start. The Grizzlies used their full room exception to sign him during the 2025 free agency period, but he played only 15 games in 2025/26 because of a calf injury. Now healthy, Jerome is averaging 29.8 points and 6.3 assists for the 4-0 Grizzlies and picked up Player of the Week honors along the way.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to Jerome’s preparation as the reason for the hot start. “The shape he showed up to camp in,” Iisalo said.
“He has put a hell of a lot of hard work in last spring and this summer. … He’s put himself in a great situation.
The confidence he’s playing with is incredible.”
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One of the bigger questions for Dallas is Kyrie Irving, who is on the report with a left knee injury. The Thunder will also be short-handed in the frontcourt, with Chet Holmgren unavailable because of right knee patellar tendinitis, adding another wrinkle to a game that already carries more injury drama than usual. For the Mavericks, the concern is less about one night than about how often they keep having to adjust on the fly while the roster continues to change from game to game. [Read more 🡒]
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Insiders have started floating the idea that Houston could be a team to watch if Irvings situation in Dallas shifts again, with the fit alongside Kevin Durant naturally adding to the intrigue. For Mavericks fans, the most relevant part is not the rumor itself but what it could mean if Irving ever pushes for a change and Dallas has to decide how much it is willing to do to help shape the next move. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Front Office Shakeup Comes At A Crucial Time
The Mavericks are entering another stretch of transition off the floor, with CEO Rick Welts announcing he will retire at the end of the year. Welts came out of retirement in 2024 to help steer the organization through one of its biggest long-term projects, including planning for the teams new arena location as the franchise looks ahead to a move expected in 2031.
The timing matters because the front office is now lining up its next leader while that process continues. Ethan Casson, already a president within the organization, will step in as CEO on Jan. 1, giving the Mavericks a relatively clean handoff even as the work around the arena plan and the teams future remains very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]