Dallas added a former No. 1 overall pick without giving up a core player or a first-round pick, making one of the offseason's lowest-risk moves.
DALLAS - The new-look Mavericks front office took another low-risk gamble Sunday, and once again, it barely cost anything.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trading All-Defensive wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal. The Thunder receives three second-round picks. The Hawks acquire Dort and Ryan Nembhard.
The Mavericks land Zaccharie Risacher, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.
The path to this moment started months ago. The Mavericks were reportedly linked to Risacher during the Anthony Davis trade discussions, when Dallas wanted him included in a package with Atlanta. The Hawks declined at the time and roughly six months later, Dallas got him anyway without giving up a meaningful asset.
Atlanta's willingness to move Risacher came after his development stalled in his second season. Following a promising rookie year in which he averaged 12.6 points per game and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, he slipped to 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists last season. His role also declined late in the year. He went scoreless in three minutes during Game 1 against the New York Knicks and did not play in Game 2. Atlanta's addition of Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City earlier this offseason created another obstacle to regular playing time.
The talent that made Risacher the No. 1 pick is still there. He is 21 years old, stands 6-foot-8 and has the physical tools teams covet on the wing. He scored at least 30 points four times as a rookie, including a 38-point performance against the Brooklyn Nets. He brings legitimate defensive upside and the ability to stretch the floor. Dallas now offers a fresh opportunity and a clearer path to consistent minutes.
The fit makes the move even more intriguing. Risacher joins a young core led by Cooper Flagg, giving the Mavericks two long, versatile wings who fit the same timeline. Dusty May now has another athletic wing to develop as Dallas continues building around Flagg.
Dallas now has three former No. 1 overall picks on the roster entering the 2026-27 season, with Risacher joing 2011 No.1 Pick Kyrie Irving and, of course, Cooper Flagg.
The mechanics of the trade make the gamble even easier to understand. Marc Stein reported that Dallas used $13 million of the Anthony Davis trade exception to absorb Risacher's contract, which eliminated the need to send out matching salary.
Nembhard was a reserve guard, no first-round picks changed hands and the Mavericks preserved future flexibility. If Risacher never reaches his potential, the cost is minimal. If he develops into the player many projected before the 2024 draft, Dallas will have landed a starting-caliber wing on a rookie-scale contract for almost nothing.
That is the type of calculated move successful front offices make. Dallas did not have the assets to complete a blockbuster trade this summer, but it still found a way to add one of the league's youngest high-upside wings.
