‘Finding Himself Now’: Dallas Mavericks Pick Up Zaccharie Risacher’s Fourth-Year Option For 2027-28 Season

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks exercised their fourth-year team option on forward Zaccharie Risacher for the 2027-28 season, the team announced Wednesday. The option is worth $17,434,637.

Risacher, 21, is averaging 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks through his first four games with Dallas. His 16 combined steals and blocks, 8 of each, are tied for the second-most in the NBA this season, according to the team.

He set the franchise record for steals in a Mavericks debut with 5 against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 21. In Monday’s 113-109 win at the Miami Heat, Risacher shot 2-of-13 from the field but finished with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Mavericks coach Dusty May said after that game that he values the plays Risacher makes beyond the box score. Dallas outscored Miami by 9 points with Risacher on the floor.

“Zacch is finding himself now, he’s still so young. We really, really value and appreciate those plays,” May said Monday. “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, where it’s maybe coming to Bam or Giannis, and he just gets a fingertip and then our guards dig it out. There’s no stat for that, but those are valued in our program and within our team.”

Zaccharie Risacher’s Path From Atlanta To Dallas

Risacher holds career averages of 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23.7 minutes through 146 games, 120 of them starts, with the Atlanta Hawks and Mavericks. He has shot 45.3% from the field and 35.5% from 3-point range over his career.

Atlanta took him No. 1 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he made the All-Rookie First Team in 2024-25. With the Hawks, Risacher reached 1,000 career points at 20 years, 210 days old, the fourth-youngest player in franchise history to get there.

Dallas acquired Risacher on July 19 in a three-team trade with Atlanta and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks are putting a lot into his development, and assistant and shooting coach Rob Fodor works with him often, including at shootarounds and on the practice court.

Risacher has made 3 of his 17 3-point attempts through four games with Dallas. May said Monday that nobody on the roster wants him to stop shooting.

“It’s like, he’s playing so hard, we appreciate that so much that we’re never gonna tell him to stop shooting it. He made a big floater. He made a huge three. And he’s a good shooter,” May explained. “That’s the crazy part. He’s a very good shooter that’s just not making it now, but he’s finding so many other ways to impact the game. And it looks like he’s having fun even though it’s not his best.”

Risacher On His Role With The Mavericks

Risacher has 8 steals and 8 blocks in 4 games with Dallas. After Monday’s win, he said his focus starts on the defensive end no matter how his shot is falling.

“I feel like, like you said, it don’t matter if the offense going well. I know what I got to do to impact the game, be on the court and make those winning plays. And I feel like as long as I do that, the offense is going to take over itself,” Risacher said. “And yeah, coming to the game, I know where I can impact the game no matter what. No matter what happens offensively, if I make shots or not, I know defensively I gotta bring it up every night. I grab rebounds, got to steal, block. I got to do all those things to make sure I’m helping my team to get to the best position to win games. And I feel like that’s something I take pride of doing.”

Risacher has been with Dallas for a little over three months. He said the locker room has supported him through his early shooting struggles.

“A lot. A lot, actually. I love it here. I love it here. My teammates are so supportive [of] what I’m doing on the court. And again, no matter what I’m doing, [they] always have my back, and that is great,” Risacher explained. “And like, I feel like everybody has the same mindset, too. Like, we keep pushing each other no matter what’s happening, losing, winning. Everybody’s here for each other. Everybody got their back. And I feel like it’s great to be able to play and compete with those guys.”

Dallas (2-2) hosts the Thunder on Wednesday at American Airlines Center, with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. CT.