Current:Home > FinanceWashington Wizards select Alex Sarr with 2nd pick in 2024 NBA draft. What you need to know -RiskRadar
Washington Wizards select Alex Sarr with 2nd pick in 2024 NBA draft. What you need to know
View
Date:2025-04-23 21:53:25
French forward Alex Sarr is headed to Washington, D.C..
Sarr, who played for the 2023-24 Perth Wildcats in Australia's National Basketball League, was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Wizards in Wednesday night's NBA draft. He stands 7-foot-1 and is viewed as one of the best defenders in the class. He is also the younger brother of Olivier Sarr, a center on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 19-year-old, who reportedly turned down a workout with the Hawks in the pre-draft process, averaged 9.4 points with 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 51.6% shooting in the NBL last season. Sarr joins a slew of recent NBL players to be drafted, joining the likes of LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and Ousmane Dieng, to name a few.
NBA DRAFT:All the picks, analysis, news and highlights from 2024 draft
While Sarr's offensive game still has room to grow, he projects as a home run swing prospect if everything goes right for the big man.
Here's everything to know about Sarr:
Alex Sarr scouting report
Here is a scouting report on Sarr from USA TODAY's Scooby Axson:
"There is much to like about Sarr, who is expected to come off the board early in the draft. Because of his large wingspan, he can make a difference defensively, and his athletic ability allows him to switch defensive assignments from the free-throw line to the perimeter.
"Today's NBA allows players with Sarr's size to camp outside of the paint, both offensively and defensively, which puts a premium on whether the players can stretch the defense with a consistent outside shot. Sarr's offensive game still needs to be refined, and while he won't dominate underneath the basket, he can finish strong when set up to score.
"He is only 225 pounds, so he will need time to get stronger, but he can be aggressive when he needs to be. If he does that on a nightly basis, especially if he is hitting from the perimeter and committing to post moves, the defense will have issues with him, and he won't be a liability when his team needs a clutch basket. But he shot only at 28% from three on less than two attempts per game with Perth and is a below-average free-throw shooter, so any improvement there will be beneficial.
"Sarr can space the floor in offensive sets. Although he can handle the ball, he is best useful for teams that like to get out in transition, as he can fill the lane easily and finish with authority. His mid-range game has an opportunity to be elite and will destroy teams with the pick-and-roll based on the guards he is playing with.
"Again, depending on the team that selects him, he has plenty of opportunity to become a consistent rotation player, with elite defensive skills that will keep in him in the league for years to come."
REQUIRED READING:Who is Alex Sarr? What to know about top NBA draft prospect from France
Alex Sarr stats
- 2023-24 (NBL's Perth Wildcats): 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds. 0.9 assists per game in 24 games. Also averaged 1.3 blocks and 0.5 steals per game.
Alex Sarr height, weight
- Height: 7 feet
- Weight: 224 pounds
Sarr measures at 7-foot, 224 pounds, according to his NBA profile.
veryGood! (74)
Related
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- 'We have to remember': World War I memorials across the US tell stories of service, loss
- Ballerina Michaela DePrince, whose career inspired many after she was born into war, dies at 29
- Report says former University of Florida president Ben Sasse spent $1.3 million on social events
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Watch these squirrels escape the heat in a woman's amazing homemade spa
- Why is Mike Tyson fighting Jake Paul? He says it's not about the money
- Michigan county can keep $21,810 windfall after woman’s claim lands a day late
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- 'We have to remember': World War I memorials across the US tell stories of service, loss
Ranking
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Pittsburgh proposes a $500,000 payment to settle bridge collapse lawsuits
- Selling Sunset's Chelsea Lazkani Admits She Orchestrated Bre Tiesi's Allegation About Jeff Lazkani
- Michigan’s Greg Harden, who advised Tom Brady, Michael Phelps and more, dies at 75
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- China is raising its retirement age, now among the youngest in the world’s major economies
- Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams Accuses Ex-Wife of Gatekeeping Their Kids in Yearslong Custody Case
- Bomb threats close schools and offices after Trump spread false rumors about Haitians in Ohio
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
What exactly is soy lecithin? This food additive is more common than you might think.
Nicole Kidman speaks out after death of mother Janelle
As civic knowledge declines, programs work to engage young people in democracy
Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
Ex-NFL star Kellen Winslow II expresses remorse from prison, seeks reduced sentence
Meet Little Moo Deng, the Playful Baby Hippo Who Has Stolen Hearts Everywhere
Tom Cruise’s Surprising Paycheck for 2024 Paris Olympics Stunt Revealed