Victor Wembanyama doesn’t see Zaccharie Risacher’s new spot with the Dallas Mavericks as a setback. He sees it as the right kind of landing spot.
Speaking in French, the San Antonio Spurs star said Risacher’s move to Dallas is “ideal,” pointing to the fit, the franchise, and the chance for the young forward to settle in without the spotlight burning quite as hot.
“For me, the situation he's in today is ideal,” said Wembanyama in French about Risacher joining the Mavericks. "I think it's a good project, a good franchise, and I see him having fun.
That's the most important thing. I think there's a real project here.
In the future, close or far, I don't know. But in the future, it will be even better."
The Mavericks acquired Risacher this summer in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, sending two-way guard Ryan Nembhard the other way. Dallas was willing to move on from the former No. 1 pick, and Risacher now finds himself on a roster that has even more former top selections in the mix.
That group includes Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, giving Risacher a different kind of company as he tries to carve out his place. Irving and Flagg have already lived up to expectations, while Risacher is still trying to get traction after arriving with plenty of hype.
Through three games going into Monday at Miami, he was averaging 8.7 points while shooting just 18.2 percent from 3-point range. He has still shown some ability to get to the rim and remains a solid off-ball defender.
That showed up in the upset win at the Heat, even if the shooting line was ugly. Risacher went 2-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-6 from deep, but he still finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Dallas was plus-9 during his minutes.
Coach Dusty May said the missed shots don’t tell the full story.
“Zach is finding himself now, he’s still so young. We really, really value and appreciate those plays,” May said. “However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls and blocks and steals and rebounds and the ones that don’t show up where he just gets a hand on it ...
"There’s no stat for that, but those are valued in our program and within our team.”
Risacher agreed that the defensive edge is part of the team identity.
"It’s just a reflection of who we are as a team. Defensively, we’re dogs. Everybody has the back of each other.''
His three blocks included one on Giannis Antetokounmpo with 5:05 left and another on Davion Mitchell with 5.5 seconds remaining.
Against the Spurs, Risacher put up 11 points, a steal, and two blocks. Like Wembanyama, his defense stands out first, while the offensive side is still a work in progress.
Wembanyama, though, is the outlier here. Risacher is not being asked to be that kind of force, and the Mavericks’ setup may be better suited to letting him grow without the weight of impossible expectations.
In that sense, Dallas looks like a place where he can settle into the kind of role that fits a player in his stage - behind forwards like Flagg, Morez Johnson, Naji Marshall, and PJ Washington, and with room to become a reliable NBA piece.
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The Mavericks are facing an important early-season roster call with Zaccharie Risacher, whose rookie-scale option for the 2027-28 season still has not been exercised. Dallas has until Monday to make the decision, and the timing adds another layer to a start that has already been uneven for the young wing, who has struggled with his shooting but has also shown value at the other end with strong numbers in steals and blocks.
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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 🡒]