Alex Sarr is headed to Washington.
Sarr, who many had lengthy anticipated can be the highest general decide, was chosen by the Wizards with the No. 2 decide within the NBA Draft on Wednesday evening. That makes Sarr the second Frenchman to be chosen within the draft after the Atlanta Hawks took Zaccharie Risacher forward of him.
The transfer was the second important one the Wizards made on Wednesday afternoon. The franchise struck a deal to ship Deni Avdija to the Portland Path Blazers in trade for Malcolm Brogdon, the No. 14 general decide on this yr’s draft and a 2029 decide.
Sarr is well among the finest gamers on this yr’s draft class. The 19-year-old middle is a good rim protector and a pick-and-pop risk on offense. At 7-foot-1, Sarr can develop right into a dominant two-way huge within the league.
He shined within the Australian league final season with the Perth Wildcats, the place he put up 9.7 factors and 4.4 rebounds per recreation. Sarr helped lead the staff into the semifinals of the NBL playoffs earlier than he formally declared for the NBA Draft. He is now the best draft decide to be chosen out of the Nationwide Basketball League, surpassing LaMelo Ball — who went No. 3 general in 2020.
“My versatility on the court docket went to a different degree this season,” Sarr instructed ESPN in April. “My consistency received higher. On offense, having the ability to play inside out, making good reads on protection in pick-and-roll coverages.”
Whereas he’s nonetheless a youngster, Sarr has already performed everywhere in the world. He signed with Actual Madrid when he was simply 14, after which he performed with Additional time Elite for 2 seasons earlier than becoming a member of Perth. Sarr’s older brother, Olivier Sarr, simply completed his third season within the league with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder group, although he ruptured his left Achilles tendon within the G League Finals earlier this spring.
Sarr has just about been thought-about a lock for the Wizards shortly after he declined to work out with the Hawks forward of the draft. Although he didn’t get into specifics about that call, he appeared assured with it and loved his exercise with the Wizards.
“I’ve a terrific staff round me … I belief them,” Sarr mentioned Tuesday, by way of The Washington Submit’s Ben Golliver. “I’m not going to get into the specifics of the place I labored out and the place I didn’t.”
Regardless, Sarr is a significantly better slot in Washington than he can be in Atlanta. The Wizards don’t have a real middle or a lot of an inside recreation after they dealt Daniel Gafford away final season. Sarr will be capable of soar in immediately and begin creating from the soar, which is one thing that ought to profit him in the long term, contemplating the Wizards aren’t more likely to be superb but once more.
The franchise went simply 15-67 final season and missed the playoffs for a 3rd straight time. The staff break up from head coach Wes Unseld Jr., too, and has since employed first-time head coach Brian Keefe to take his place. The Wizards are nonetheless very a lot in rebuilding mode and could possibly be in place for one more prime decide a yr from now.
Although it’s going to take time, Sarr could possibly be the primary true piece to that puzzle.