‘I Like The Challenge’: Zaccharie Risacher Embraces Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Assignment Hours After Dallas Mavericks Pick Up Option

DALLAS — Hours after the Dallas Mavericks exercised the fourth-year option on his contract, Zaccharie Risacher spent much of the second half Wednesday guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 2-of-10 after halftime, and Dallas beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 at American Airlines Center.

Risacher scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, off the bench. He added 6 rebounds, 4 of them offensive, plus 1 steal and 1 block in 28:51, and Dallas outscored Oklahoma City by 16 points with him on the floor.

The option Dallas exercised Wednesday is worth $17,434,637 for 2027-28. Two days earlier, Risacher shot 2-of-13 in a win at Miami but finished with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Four Dallas reserves scored in double figures, and the Mavericks’ bench outscored Oklahoma City’s 43-19. Dallas also made 7 of its 14 fast-break shots and finished with 17 fast-break points to Oklahoma City’s 0.

“I would say that’s a collective win. Everybody was involved, everybody played hard, and we’re having fun too,” Risacher said.

Zaccharie Risacher Takes The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Assignment

With 3:23 left in the third quarter, Risacher stole the ball from Gilgeous-Alexander. Ten seconds later, he blocked Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup attempt on the break. Gilgeous-Alexander, who was averaging 27.3 points entering the night, sat out the fourth quarter and finished with 21 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

“I like it. I like it. That’s why I’m on the court, just being able to impact the game,” Risacher said. “And sometimes you’re going to be guarding the best player on the court. So that’s what I do, and I feel like that’s just the mindset that I have every time I step on the court, like I talked about. I just want to be impactful, want to win the game. It’s as simple as that.”

“I like the challenge,” Risacher continued. “I like the challenge and being able to compete and impact the game on defense like this has been great for me. And I feel like that’s also how I find the rhythm in my game, because I know that when I’m focusing on those things, the rest of the flow, the rhythm, will take care of itself. That’s what I do out there. And just being able to guard him was great.”

Risacher made both of his 3-pointers off passes from Marcus Sasser. The first came with 11:29 left in the second quarter, and the second was a step-back with 10:16 left in the fourth that put Dallas up 101-85. He had made 3 of his 17 3-point attempts through his first four games with Dallas.

“I thought tonight he played a masterpiece,” Mavericks coach Dusty May said. “The two threes he made, it’s a prime example of the shot clock and then a step back left when there’s no time to think. Whenever he can really get to the point where he’s not thinking consciously on his jump shots, because he’s a good shooter, he’s a very good shooter, but he’s impacting every single possession.”

“The job he did on Shai in the second half, I’ve watched a lot of Shai film, and you don’t see that very often, to beat him to spots, to get deflections, to challenge shots without fouling,” May continued. “I thought he was great.”

Risacher and Cooper Flagg entered Wednesday tied for the second-most combined steals and blocks in the NBA, with 16 apiece. Through five games, Risacher is averaging 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 29.8 minutes. He is shooting 37.8% from the field and 25.0% from 3-point range, and Dallas is plus-30 with him on the floor.

“I feel like it’s a mindset first. Every time we get on the court, we try to play hard, and we’re using our size, we’re communicating, playing our own stuff. And like I said, everybody has each other’s back. So defending in those conditions makes life easier, because you know you can make a mistake, somebody’s going to have your back,” Risacher said.

“So it allows you to be a little bit more aggressive, and I feel like that’s what we’ve been doing,” Risacher added. “And I think that reminds us that every time we step on the court, it’s to guard and be impactful, be physical.”

Risacher On His Option, The Offensive Glass, And Flagg

Dallas acquired Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, from the Atlanta Hawks on July 19 in a three-team trade that also included Oklahoma City. He made the All-Rookie First Team in 2024-25.

“I heard that before the game. My agent let me know, and I was super happy, super great news,” Risacher said. “I’m feeling grateful to be in this organization, this environment, with those people I’m talking about, like staff, front office, teammates. Everybody’s been great, and everybody wants to win, and everybody does the right thing to make sure that we get in this position, like win games and compete.”

“And I feel like as a young player, that’s the best position I can get in, and I’m grateful to be able to be in that environment for like two years at least,” Risacher explained. “So I’m just super grateful.”

Risacher held career averages of 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists through 146 games entering Wednesday. He has shot 45.3% from the field and 35.5% from 3-point range over his career, and he has been with Dallas for a little more than three months.

“Like I said a little bit before, I feel like as a young player, being here, I’m feeling great here. And I feel like it’s a blessing to be able to be around those people, to work every day and get better,” Risacher said. “I feel like I’m in the right position to be able to be myself and succeed too, individually, but most importantly, collectively. I just feel great, and I’m so proud to be here.”

Dallas grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and outscored Oklahoma City 18-7 on second-chance points. Risacher had a tip-in during a 13-2 third-quarter run and a fast-break putback early in the fourth.

“I was talking about the defense and getting rebounds. It’s also what I got in mind when I step on the court too. I’m trying to impact the game as much as I can, and that’s one of those things that I’m trying to do as much as I can, being impactful, crashing every time,” Risacher said.

“So we get second chances, and I feel like that’s my way to contribute and to make sure, like, getting those extra possessions,” Risacher continued. “It’s really important, especially in tie games. So it’s all those kind of things that I’m taking a lot of pride to do.”

Flagg, 19, went No. 1 overall in 2025, a year after Atlanta took Risacher with the first pick. Both finished on the right side of the scoreboard Wednesday, Flagg at plus-12 and Risacher at plus-16.

“We’ve talked about it a little bit. It’s tough. Obviously, it’s something that is different than a lot of other people. There’s only one number one pick each year. So you definitely feel like another level of pressure, and that’s something I’ve talked to him about, and we’ve talked about it together, just forgetting about the pressure,” Flagg said. “I told him, ‘I know how good you are.’ We don’t care. Nobody here cares that he was a number one pick.”

Flagg had 26 points and 8 assists Wednesday. Risacher’s 13 points led the Dallas bench, and he scored 5 of them in the first 1:44 of the fourth quarter.

“He’s brought a lot. It goes back to that competing. Obviously, I think he has a long way to go, and he has so much growth that he can show offensively with his shot making. He’s super versatile, but I think he’s great overall for us to impact the game in so many different ways,” Flagg said. “That’s why I tell him a lot of the time, I think we’re 15 to 20 points better with him just doing little things, and the shots will fall and all of that. I don’t even care about it.”

“But when he just goes out there and competes at the highest level and how he can, he makes it so much better just with his versatility all over the court when he’s flying around,” Flagg continued. “He’s been huge for us so far, and we’re needing to keep getting better and keep playing with the same fire.”

Dallas hosts the Houston Rockets on Friday at American Airlines Center, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. CT.