The selections, which kicked off arguably the most open draft in the last decade, followed the San Antonio Spurs’ selection of French center Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick last year. Wembanyama and Risacher are the first players from the same country outside of North America to be selected first in consecutive drafts. Sarr stood up to offer Risacher a congratulatory handshake and a hug once NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the top pick.
“It just shows the amount of talent we have in France,” Sarr said. “I’m excited for Zach. I was really happy for him. (Being picked second) is really special. Whatever choice you make, the team is taking a chance on me. I’m blessed for that. I won’t take it for granted. I will play with effort and impact to win.
The Hawks were selected first for the first time since 1975. Risacher, a 2.05m forward who was honored as the French league’s top young prospect last season, averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 35.2% from three-point range for JL Bourg, who posted a 25-9 record.
“I’ve known Tidjane and Alex for a long time,” Risacher said. “We grew up playing against each other. This is incredible for our country. It’s amazing for us, first of all. Just being able to make our dream come true together is special. I have the impression that the French players will be inspired, and it will get better and better for us.
Atlanta finished 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-46 record, but lost in the play-in tournament, sparking trade rumors surrounding star guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Risacher described himself as a “versatile player” who can “easily fit in” on a Hawks roster that might be in transition.
“I’m looking forward to finding out what my role or goals will be,” Risacher said. “I don’t know yet, but I know I can do a lot of things: defend several positions, get some rebounds, finish strong, be aggressive, shoot threes obviously.”
The Wizards made Sarr their top pick since selecting John Wall with the No. 1 pick in 2010. Sarr, a versatile 7-foot defender, averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for Perth, who had the second-best pick in the NBL. save.
As Sarr was being whisked away to various media obligations, dressed in a cream suit with a matching Wizards hat, he met with team owner Ted Leonsis for a brief encounter in a curtained hallway.
Sarr, whose basketball journey around the world took him from Spain and the Overtime Elite development program to Atlanta before landing in Australia, said he watched a lot of Wizards games last season last and that he appreciated their style of play despite their record of 15-67. .
“I’m really excited to be a part of the Wizards,” Sarr said. “I really like the list. We can be a good team next year. They played very fast. They are one of the fastest teams. There are a lot of versatile guys on the roster, like Bilal (Coulibaly), who can attack everyone, or a lot of guys who can grab the rebound and push it. This is the brand of basketball that I like.
While Sarr made headlines by refusing to work out for the Hawks, he said Wednesday that his recent workout with the Wizards went well and that he enjoyed his first visit to Washington, which lasted three days. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins took Sarr to tour the city’s landmarks, including the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
“My training went well,” Sarr said. “It was tough. They put you through that because they want to see how you’re going to react to everything. I did a great job. I shot the ball well and now I’m here.”
The Houston Rockets selected Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard at No. 3, the San Antonio Spurs took Connecticut guard Stephon Castle at No. 4 and the Detroit Pistons rounded out the top five by adding the G League forward Ignite Ron Holland.
The rest of the lottery went like this: Salaün against the Charlotte Hornets at No. 6; Connecticut center Donovan Clingan to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7; Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham to the San Antonio Spurs at No. 8; Purdue center Zach Edey to the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 9; Colorado forward Cody Williams to the Utah Jazz at 10th; G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis to Chicago Bulls at 11th; Serbian guard Nikola Topic of the Oklahoma City Thunder at 12th; Providence guard Devin Carter to the Sacramento Kings at 13th; and Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 14.
The Spurs are reportedly trading Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves for future picks. The Wizards will acquire Carrington and guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Blazers for forward Deni Avdija.
Without a generational headliner like Wembanyama to inspire buzz, this year’s draft was a low-key affair. A few dozen reporters interviewed projected lottery picks at a midtown Manhattan hotel during media day Tuesday, and there were many empty seats in the arena for Wednesday’s first round. On the eve of the draft, the Brooklyn Nets’ agreement to trade Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks overshadowed the annual festivities.
For the first time, the NBA chose to split its draft into two rounds over two days, with the made-for-TV second round taking place Thursday afternoon at the ESPN facility near the Brooklyn Bridge. To avoid a conflict with the planned debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, the broadcast of the proposed runoff was moved to 4 p.m.
Silver opened Wednesday’s proceedings by saluting Hall of Famers Jerry West and Bill Walton, both of whom died within the past month, and recognizing the Boston Celtics for winning their first championship since 2008. The crowd Booed loudly whenever the Celtics were mentioned and cheered when Bronny James, the draft-eligible son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, was projected onto the big screen. Young James was not selected in the first round.