The Atlanta Hawks will select the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and, unlike last year when Victor Wembanyama was the clear No. 1 pick, there is no consensus top pick this year. But the player favored at No. 1 is another French center, 7-foot-1 Alex Sarr.
Sarr’s path to the NBA was unique. He turned pro at age 14, and his young career began in Spain and France before moving to the United States, where his older brother, Olivier, played college basketball at Wake Forest and Kentucky before going undrafted in 2021. (Olivier Sarr played for the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League this season.)
Alex Sarr joined Overtime Elite’s semi-pro program for two years and last spring made the 12,000-mile move to Perth, Australia, to play for the Wildcats in the National Basketball League as part of the Next Stars team. program of the NBL.
“The professional path just suits me better as a player and has helped me develop my game better,” Alex Sarr told Yahoo Sports last fall. “The distance gives me more freedom and versatility, so that’s why I chose to play in the NBL and not at university.”
To start the season, Sarr and his teammates traveled to Las Vegas last September for a pair of exhibition games against G League Ignite. More than 200 scouts and executives filled the arena to watch Sarr and Ignite forwards Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland – all three projected lottery picks heading into the season. In the first game, Sarr finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks in 29 minutes. In the second game, he looked even more comfortable, coming off the bench to record a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and adding six blocks in a 127–112 win.
This was Sarr’s coming out party. He made a powerful statement and a lasting impression in the first two games, which would continue over the course of the season.
“There were periods in both games where he was the best prospect on the court,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “A two-way player who showed everyone he is more than just a rim protector.”
Sarr was a regular contributor for Perth as they finished third in the NBL regular season with an 18–13 record. The versatile center had bouts of minor injuries but never considered leaving the season early, even after showing enough to be considered a lock in the top 5 of the draft.
“Not finishing the season never crossed my mind, not once,” Sarr told Yahoo Sports in November. “I have committed myself to this team and I am going to play until the end. I came here to get better and improve and you can only improve when you are on the field and playing against real competition.”
Sarr averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 18 minutes off the bench. He scored in countless ways all season long, whether stepping into long 3s off the pick-and-pop, taking players off the dribble or grabbing lobs off the roll or in transition. Defensively, he is one of the best shot blockers in this draft class and can shoot the hole, deflect passes and alter shots with his 7-5 wingspan.
Melbourne, Australia, will be looking at possible No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Alex Sarr. Sold out crowd for Melbourne United vs. Perth Wildcats. (Random note: Todd Gurley is sitting here on the right) pic.twitter.com/gLF5WkkmP9
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) November 6, 2023
“The NBA is evolving and becoming more and more positionless, so even with my size I have to be able to guard any position and feel comfortable with the ball in my hands,” Sarr said. “I feel like I’ve always been able to play on the perimeter and it’s nothing new or uncomfortable for me to step outside the paint and make plays.”
Due to his limited playing time at Perth, it was a smaller sample size for the scouts who made the long journey to see Sarr play. But the 19-year-old went into the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago looking physically stronger and tested well in the agility and shooting drills. He did not participate in the 5-on-5 scrimmages and will likely only meet and train with a few teams ranked in the top 5.
“I just want to show NBA scouts how impactful I can be on the court, both on the ball and off the court,” said Sarr, who played two years in Atlanta for Overtime Elite and told reporters at the club that he went to several Hawks matches, but doesn’t know any of the players personally. “I think my versatility sets me apart from other greats in this draft with my rim protection, high motor and shot creation.”
Most consider the 2024 draft class to be weak. While there will be great players emerging, no one knows if that will be pick No. 1 or pick No. 35. But the upside Sarr has at 7-1, and his versatility as an inside-out two-way player, projects him into the future. the same category as the young hybrid centers like Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren who are taking the league by storm.
