On the night before the draft, Sarr was comfortably ensconced on a couch at the National Basketball Players Association headquarters in midtown Manhattan, not yet sure where his journey would take him next. He could follow in the footsteps of his fellow Frenchman, Victor Ouenbanyama, and be selected first by the Atlanta Hawks. Or, as many prognosticators believe, he could end up second overall by the Washington Wizards. If he unexpectedly slips through the cracks of both the Hawks and Wizards, it probably won't be long before he hears his name called, given that his versatility has earned him comparisons to All-Defensive Team mainstays Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley.
“That's the great thing about this draft,” Sarr said Tuesday. “There's a lot of uncertainty. 24 hours from now, I won't have the same issues. I've got to enjoy this moment and cherish it. Whatever team gives me a chance, that's the best fit for me.”
Sarr, French forward Zachary Lisacher and Connecticut center Donovan Clingan are the favorites to be the first pick in perhaps the most unexpected draft of the past decade. Atlanta had a surprising draft lottery win, with a 3 percent chance of winning first overall, which makes this year's roster even tougher to predict ahead of Wednesday's first-round game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Hawks reached the 2023 playoffs last season but fell to the Eastern Division play-in tournament and are out of the running unless they trade franchise guard Trae Young and rebuild. General manager Landry Fields said in a radio interview on Tuesday that he's received a call about trading for the No. 1 pick but intends to go with it “unless something amazing happens.”
Atlanta's options are stylistically diverse. The 19-year-old Lisacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 35.2% 3-point shooting with JL Bour in France's top league. A dynamic offensive player who can use the court all over, Lisacher saw solid playing time with Bour and the team went 25-9.
In contrast, the 20-year-old Clingan, a traditional 7-foot-2 center, averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as a sophomore while helping Connecticut win its second consecutive national championship.
And Sarr, at 19, looks to be the most physically gifted player in the class. He's a mobile big man who moves smoothly around the court and cites Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon as influences. He's a good shot blocker, but he understands that a modern center needs to be able to spread the floor, so he's been working hard on his outside shot. He's polished and confident in front of the camera thanks to a gradual development approach that has resulted in him averaging 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game for Perth, second-best in the NBL.
“When you get comfortable in one place, you want to move and find a new challenge to get better,” Sarr said.[In Australia]”We were playing winning basketball back then, and possession was key. You had to pay attention to the little details. I was getting playing time because I was impacting wins.”
Sarr comes from a basketball family: His father, Massar, played professionally in France, and his brother, Olivier, spent the past three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sarr first faced Lisacher when he was 13, at a youth tournament in France. The two shared laughs at a youth basketball camp on Tuesday, and there was no sign of any bitter rivalry.
“We grew up together competing against each other and now we're here in New York for the draft,” Lisacher said. “This is special.”
Sarr started collecting stamps on his passport as Lisacher rose through the professional ranks in France, playing a few seasons for former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker's ASVEL club and winning the league's Young Player of the Year award at the JL Boulet this year. After a growth spurt that saw him reach 7 feet tall, Sarr chose to focus on developing his all-around game rather than becoming a back-to-the-basket center. The Wizards are clearly in need of a cornerstone player after ranking 28th in defensive efficiency last season, but Sarr doesn't want to be boxed in. In Perth, he showed off his skills as a finisher above the basket and tried his hand at outside shots, hitting 29.8% of them.
“I've never been one-dimensional,” he said. “I've always tried different things on the court. My versatility gives me an advantage over other players. [Durant] He knows how to get into position. I admire the energy with which Giannis plays. He plays really hard and pushes the ball and gets to the rim. I would classify myself as a defensive player, but I'm better on offense than I'm given credit for. My shot is better now. My passing, my feel, my IQ. [get overlooked]”I'm a threat on both ends of the court.”
The Hawks' decision may hinge on their confidence in Sarr's offensive ability, as if he develops into a reliable ball-handler and capable outside shooter he could be more valuable in the long run than Lisacher, who is expected to be a secondary scorer, or Clingan, who will play most of his time in the paint.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, Fields confirmed Tuesday that Sarr had been scheduled to work out with the Hawks but “declined” the invitation. Refusing to work out with a team in hopes of moving elsewhere is a relatively common tactic in the NBA Draft, but it's rare for a top-A prospect to miss out on a chance to be selected at the top of the draft. This unorthodox maneuver may be a near-term opportunity. Atlanta has two centers on its roster in Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, and Washington opened a hole at the position by trading Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline.
“I have a great team,” Sarr said at draft media day.[My agent] With Bill Duffy [the Endeavor agency]They've been through all of this already. I trust them. I won't go into the details of where I did and didn't do well. Of course. [I want to be the top pick]As a competitor, yes, but to me, getting drafted is more important.”
Afterwards, at players' union headquarters, a relaxed Sarr acknowledged that he'd been working out with the Wizards and dismissed rumors that the Hawks had passed him up as a blip on the radar. In doing so, he already looked like a seasoned pro.
“Obviously there are a lot of questions,” he said. “In 24 hours, it won't be an issue.”