The NBA Draft is just over 24 hours away and there is still no clear answer as to who the Atlanta Hawks will select No. 1 overall.
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The Hawks, who lucked out with the No. 1 pick after having just a three percent chance of landing it during the NBA Draft Lottery, have been doing their due diligence on top prospects since landing the No. 1 pick. However, they haven’t been able to see exactly everyone.
Hawks general manager Landry Fields spoke with 92.9 The Game on Tuesday and confirmed reports that potential No. 1 overall pick Alexandre Sarr turned down his workout with Atlanta.
“(Sarr) was scheduled to come work out, we had it on record,” Fields said Tuesday. “And then he refused to come exercise.”
Fields added that he knew if Sarr worked with other teams during this process, but declined to answer.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 24: (LR) Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher visit the Empire State Building to celebrate the 2024 NBA Draft at the Empire State Building on June 24, 2024 in New York… NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 24: (L-R) Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher visit the Empire State Building to celebrate the 2024 NBA Draft at the Empire State Building on June 24, 2024 in New York City. Sarr responded to reports that he turned down training with the Hawks. More images by Roy Rochlin/Getty for Empire State Realty Trust
Sarr then spoke to reporters Tuesday and was asked about the reports, and Landy’s confirmation, that he had turned down a workout with Atlanta. He gave a very confident answer.
“I have a great team around me: Bill Duffy and WME. They’ve been through all this before and I trust them,” Sarr. saying. “I’m not going to go into details about where I trained and where I didn’t. But I’ve been doing the best I can in my training and that’s all I can control.”
Sarr seems to confirm that he has worked for other teams, which makes the decision to reject Atlanta that much more interesting.
Sarr, 19, is a 7-foot-1 French basketball player who spent two seasons with Overtime Elite before signing with the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League. With Perth last year, Sarr averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17 minutes per game.
His size, length and ability to space the floor will get him off the board early Wednesday night. He is also such a raw talent that teams will bet on his potential.
However, there appears to be some issue with Atlanta that led him to refuse to work there. The Hawks are coming off a disappointing season in which they failed to make the playoffs after losing in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. They may now undergo big changes that could involve trading stars like Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Atlanta could also trade the No. 1 pick on Wednesday as they look to reload for a postseason run in 2024-25 with more proven talent.
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Fields also addressed that possibility on Tuesday.
“We’ve had decisions about the No. 1 pick,” Fields said. “But I still say that unless something surprises me, we’ll pick No. 1. That’s as true today as the last time I said it.”
It remains to be seen what Atlanta ends up doing on Wednesday night. But without taking a good look at Sarr, they may be deterred from picking him No. 1 overall.
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