DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks just acquired former No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher and a top 55 protected 2027 second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

The transaction was a part of a three-team trade that also included the Oklahoma City Thunder.

What we know:

Dallas sent guard Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta and a 2027 second-round pick, originally acquired from the Chicago Bulls to Oklahoma City in the deal to acquire 21-year-old Risacher was selected first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Hawks. 

Risacher also has international experience with France, helping the senior national team during the 2025 EuroBasket tournament after previously winning a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup and a bronze medal at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup. 

Finland’s Olivier Nkamhoua (R) vies with France’s #21 Zaccharie Risacher during the qualifier basketball match between France and Finland for the men’s 2027 FIBA World Championships at the Palais des Sports in Pau, south-western France on July 6, 202

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Dig deeper:

Risacher is a 6-foot-9 forward averaging 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 142 career games with Atlanta, including 119 starts. He earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in the 2024-25 season after averaging 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 75 games. Risacher scored at least 30 points four times as a rookie, including a career-high 38 points against the Brooklyn Nets on April 10, 2025.

Nembhard, who joined the Mavericks as an undrafted rookie in 2025-26, averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 60 games, including 27 starts, before being traded.

How will Christian Parker perform in first season as defensive coordinator?

The early reviews for Parker have been very promising and show that he no doubt has the dedication necessary to turn things around in Dallas.

Based on what we have heard from players and coaches and what we’ve seen at spring practices, Parker is clearly a hard worker and is hands on with his players, something the Cowboys’ defenders appreciate.

“I feel like that’s when you learn fully what the coach means,” Caleb Downs said. “To be able to get hands on and be able to do the drill with you, I feel like that’s a real positive.”

“I can’t get the guy to leave the building,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Parker. “I kind of see myself as a grinder… I’m always out before he is and I’m like, ‘Dude.’ He just loves it, man.

Parker is also very popular with his players, as Schottenheimer noted when he told reporters that Parker “literally has a line of guys” waiting outside his office to talk to him on a daily basis. That’s important to note because it means guys are willing to go the extra mile for their coach and that will only help Dallas’ defense improve.

While these are all great signs that the Cowboys have the right man for the job, none of them guarantee Parker will be a successful defensive coordinator, especially in Year 1.

After all, we’ve seen promising coaches fail at a bigger role time and time again over the years. At the very least, first-time play-callers like Parker can struggle as they adjust to the new job.

The good news is, Parker has learned from some of the best in the business during his coaching career and few first-year coaches are better prepared than he will be.

The Dallas Cowboys took a step in the right direction this offseason when it comes to their defense.

After sporting the league’s worst defense in 2025 and missing the playoffs as a result of it, Dallas made significant moves at every level of the defense.

Perhaps the most important change was the team firing Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker, who will oversee the revamped unit as a first-year defensive coordinator.

Speaking of Parker, he’s the source of the biggest question nobody is asking ahead of training camp.

How will Christian Parker perform in first season as defensive coordinator?

The early reviews for Parker have been very promising and show that he no doubt has the dedication necessary to turn things around in Dallas.

Based on what we have heard from players and coaches and what we’ve seen at spring practices, Parker is clearly a hard worker and is hands on with his players, something the Cowboys’ defenders appreciate.

“I feel like that’s when you learn fully what the coach means,” Caleb Downs said. “To be able to get hands on and be able to do the drill with you, I feel like that’s a real positive.”

“I can’t get the guy to leave the building,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Parker. “I kind of see myself as a grinder… I’m always out before he is and I’m like, ‘Dude.’ He just loves it, man.

Parker is also very popular with his players, as Schottenheimer noted when he told reporters that Parker “literally has a line of guys” waiting outside his office to talk to him on a daily basis. That’s important to note because it means guys are willing to go the extra mile for their coach and that will only help Dallas’ defense improve.

While these are all great signs that the Cowboys have the right man for the job, none of them guarantee Parker will be a successful defensive coordinator, especially in Year 1.

After all, we’ve seen promising coaches fail at a bigger role time and time again over the years. At the very least, first-time play-callers like Parker can struggle as they adjust to the new job.

The good news is, Parker has learned from some of the best in the business during his coaching career and few first-year coaches are better prepared than he will be.

How Cowboys can answer the question

Parker is yet another wild card for Dallas’ defense, which already has no shortage of them in the slew of new faces the unit will be sporting in 2026.

Taking a more general view, we simply don’t know how all of these new pieces will fit together.

And, truth be told, we really won’t know how things will shake out until the Cowboys take the field in the regular season, and it could be several weeks until we can confidently determine if Parker is doing a good job and if the Cowboys’ defense is fixed.

Until then, all Cowboys fans can do is hope.

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