By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The European “invasion” to the NBA continues, as five players from the old continent were picked among the first 12 selections of the 2024 NBA draft with three of them coming from France. In total four French players were picked in the first round and eight Europeans.
The Atlanta Hawks selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Risacher became the second consecutive international prospect, and fourth overall, to be taken with the top pick in the draft following last year’s triumph of Victor Wembanyama.
Italian Andrea Bargnani was taken first by the Toronto Raptors in 2006 and Chinese Yao Ming with the top pick in 2002 by the Rockets.
Risacher, 19, played this past season for JL Bourg winning the EuroCup rising star award. He is the son of former player Stephane Risacher, who won a silver medal with the French national team at the Olympic Games in 2000 and played for Olympiacos and Unicaja Malaga among others.
Fellow Frenchman center Alex Sarr, also 19, who spend the season in the Australian NBL was taken at No. 2 by the Washington Wizards and at No. 6 the Charlotte Hornets picked another French player, forward Tidjane Saluan, the Basketball Champions League young player of the year with Cholet.
The Bulls picked Lithuanian forward Matas Buzelis from the G-League Ignite at No. 11 and the OKC Thunder got Serbian guard Nikola Topic from Crvena Zvezda at No. 12.
The next European picked came at No. 18 with the Magic getting Brazilian-German forward Tristan Da Silva, the younger brother of former Barcelona player Oscar Da Silva and then at No. 24 Swiss Kyshawn George from Miami Hurricanes ended up in Washington. French forward Pacome Dadiet from Ulm was the 25th pick by Knicks.