2024 NBA Draft: Potential No. 1 Pick Alex Sarr "I Never Said That I Did Not Want To Be in Atlanta"

Will the Hawks select Alex Sarr No. 1 Overall in Tonight's NBA Draft

Potential No. 1 overall pick Alex Sarr /

The NBA Draft is getting closer and closer. The Atlanta Hawks are going to be making a picking soon and while French forward Zaccharie Risacher remains the heavy favorite to go No. 1 tonight, there is still a chance the Hawks could pull surprise and draft either Alex Sarr or Donovan Clingan or potentialy move back.

Sarr was the favorite after the Draft Lottery to land in Atlanta, but there has been reporting that his camp would rather have him end up in Washington. Before the Draft tonight, Sarr was asked about the situation in Atlanta by ESPN's Kendrick Perkins and he had this to say:

"I never said that I did not want to be there you know. I have a great team of agents around me. Atlanta saw me play this year in Atlanta when I was in OTE (Overtime Elite) so I don't think it is all about one workout.

"I never said I didn't want to be [in Atlanta]. I got a great team of agents around me ... I don't think it's all about one workout." 👀

ESPN's No. 2 prospect Alex Sarr on why he declined to work out with the Atlanta Hawks, who own the No. 1 pick this year 🤔 pic.twitter.com/UpkJzaUBHt

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 26, 2024

I am just saying that there is enough film out there for more than just one day of workouts."

During media availability yesterday, Sarr was asked about this and here is what he had to say:

"Yeah, I mean, I have a great team around me, Bill Duffy (Sarr's Agent) and WME and they have been through all of this, I trust them and I am not going to get into the specifics about where I worked out and where I didn't, but I have been doing my best in my workouts and that is all I can say."

Sarr was then asked whether he wanted to be the 1st pick or not:

"I mean of course, as a competitor you know, but for me, it is more important to be drafted you know, at the end of the day, that is what is the most important and you just have to be grateful for that."

Then, Sarr was asked how he could fit in on either Atlanta or Washington:

"I think I can impact winning on any team that I land at, I think that I am pretty confident in that. My defensive versatility and offensively, me being able to play different spots, I think make me an impactful player on winning."

There have been a lot of rumblings about Sarr not coming to workout with the Hawks and in a radio interview yesterday, Hawks general manager Landry Fields addressed that topic:

"He was scheduled to come work out. We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out."

Fields went on to say he knew which teams Sarr did workout for, but he did not share that during the interview. Fields was also asked if he was bothered by Sarr not coming to workout for Atlanta:

"I don't take a large offense to that because it's nothing novel. This is something agents do."

He did not reveal much more about the situation, including the explanation from Sarr on why he would not workout with the Hawks.

Monday, on an episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst had draft analyst Jonathan Givony on and they talked about the situation with Sarr:

"He does not seem like he really wants to play for the Hawks, even though he would be the No. 1 pick. He elected not to come and workout for them and it makes you wonder... now the Hawks have said privately is... they did meet with him at the NBA Combine, they have done their whole batch of research on him, they have seen him play, they have his medicals, they have his testing, they have talked to people as coaches, they have done their due diligence. They say they would still take him and that he is in consideration for the No. 1 pick, with Risacher and maybe another player or two. Naturally, people think about Eli Manning here and the idea that you don't want to be the No. 1 pick."

Windhorst then asked Givony about his thoughts on the situation:

"I have been told that it is not so much that Alex Sarr does not want to play for Atlanta as much as he prefers to play for the Washington Wizards and maybe that is semantics, maybe that is a polite way of saying it, but when you look at the Washington Wizards depth chart and you compare it to the Atlanta Hawks depth chart with Jalen Johnson at the four, De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Clint Capela, I understand their point of view where they are looking at the Wizards depth chart and they are saying, Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Kyle Kuzma... he probably views himself as more of a three. Alex Sarr probably looks at that and says the opportunity there for minutes and to play a really featured role is really attractive."

Whatever happens tonight, the Hawks front office needs to make sure they are making the right decision. This is a critical point for the franchise.