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• Hawks draft Risacher with top pick, Wizards take fellow Frenchman Sarr at No. 2

  The Atlanta Hawks are turning to a 19-year-old French phenom with the hopes he can revive their scuffling franchise.

  Ditto for the Washington Wizards.

  The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick of Wednesday’s NBA draft, and the Wizards followed by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.

  Risacher, Sarr and two-time defending American collegiate national champion Donovan Clingan were all mentioned as possibilities to be picked first, but ultimately the Hawks settled on Risacher.

   

  The decision had been somewhat speculated for days after Sarr had recently worked out and met with the Wizards while declining an invitation from the Hawks, but Atlanta was keeping all options open.

  Risacher worked out for Atlanta last week, and ownership evidently liked what it saw from the 6-foot-8 wing, making him the franchise's first No. 1 pick since 1975, when it selected David Thompson.

  After another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was picked first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this marks the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.

  Considered to have the biggest upside of anyone in this draft class, Risacher is not only a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist, but also an exceptional defender, thanks to his length.

  Not even on the draft radar a year ago, Risacher first started appearing on a lot of mock drafts with his sensational start to the LNB Pro A season in France. He then entered the conversation as a potential top pick with his stellar play at the EuroCup.

  He now joins a Hawks team that is in search of a spark after being stuck in mediocrity the past few seasons.

  After reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, it totalled three play-off wins in being ousted in the first round in 2022 and ’23 and missed the post-season entirely this past season after finishing 10th in the East.

  With Atlanta, Risacher will have an opportunity to hone his game and add some weight to his lanky frame as he makes the transition to the NBA.

  Atlanta’s offence revolves around the guard play of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, so Risacher won’t be asked to do too much too soon.

  Risacher is far from being a finished product, but the Hawks believe he has the tools to develop into being a core member of the team for years to come.

  Atlanta’s decision to draft Risacher, made Washington’s choice at No. 2 a no-brainer, especially after Sarr decided not to meet with the Hawks.

  Sarr reportedly viewed Washington as a favourable landing spot over Atlanta, and the Wizards didn’t hesitate in snatching up someone who for a long time was considered the top prospect in the draft class.

  The French-born Sarr, who spent the last season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, is an athletic two-way player. He is effective as a finisher near the hoop off the pick-and-roll and is an elite rim protector on the defensive end.

  With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Sarr gives the Wizards interior length and should provide an upgrade on the defensive end considering Washington allowed a league-worst 123 points per game last season.

  The Wizards are coming off their worst season in franchise history, going 15-67, and have missed the play-offs each of the last three seasons with only one play-off appearance in the last six.

  Sarr is now the centrepiece of Washington’s rebuild.

  At 6-foot-11, he has the size of a centre, but possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing, able to dribble through traffic or deliver an accurate pass to an open team-mate.

  Sarr needs to add bulk – and a mid-range and 3-point shot – but has enough strengths to his game that he should be able to step right in and help the Wizards on both ends of the court.

• Anunoby to return to Knicks with 5-year, $212.5million deal

  OG Anunoby plans to re-sign with the New York Knicks, agreeing to a five-year, $212.5million contract.

  The deal, which includes a player option and a trade kicker, was first reported Wednesday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. It can't officially be signed until July 6, when the NBA's moratorium period on free agents ends.

  It was also reported one day after the Knicks pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets for forward Mikal Bridges.

  New York acquired Anunoby at the end of December from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

  In 23 regular-season games for the Knicks, he averaged 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.74 steals.

  He scored 28 points in New York's Game 2 win over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals to help the Knicks take a 2-0 lead, but sustained a hamstring injury in the process and played just five minutes the rest of the play-offs as New York was eliminated in seven games.

  Drafted 23rd overall by the Raptors in 2017, Anunoby has career averages of 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.26 steals in seven seasons.

   

• Miami Heat star Adebayo to sign three-year extension

  Miami Heat All-Star Bam Adebayo will sign a three-year, $166 million maximum contract extension to remain with the team through the 2028-29 season, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

  Adebayo, a three-time All-Star and five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive Team, intends to formally sign the new deal when the league's moratorium on the free agent period ends on July 6.

  The 26-year-old has two seasons remaining on a five-year, $163 million extension he signed in 2020.

  Adebayo has spent his entire seven-year career with Miami after being selected by the franchise with the 14th overall selection of the 2017 draft, and has developed into a cornerstone player for a Heat team that reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. The 6-foot-9 center has also emerged as one of the NBA's premier stoppers, having been named to the All-Defensive Second Team four times before earning First Team honours this past season.

  The former University of Kentucky standout received his third career All-Star selection in 2023-24 after averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 71 games.

  One of seven active players to average at least 15 points and nine rebounds per game in each of the last five seasons, Adebayo has career rates of 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game over 489 regular-season contests.

  Adebayo has appeared in 74 post-season games as well and has averaged 16.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in those outings.

  The Heat's current captain will also participate in his second Olympics this summer as part of the United States team headed to Paris. Adebayo previously helped the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.