ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says Hawks are signaling Alex Sarr is still in the running for No. 1 pick

Welcome to NBA Draft Week.

This year is different for Atlanta Hawks fans as their team has the No. 1 pick and the franchise faces many tough decisions over the next few weeks. But first, the Hawks must decide what to do with the No. 1 pick.

While French big man Alex Sarr was the presumed favorite for the No. 1 pick once the Hawks won the draft lottery, Zaccharie Risacher and Donovan Clingan were the most prominent names mentioned. The reason is the rumors surrounding Sarr and the Hawks, with the Hawks not being able to bring him in for private training and Sarr would have preferred to play for the Washington Wizards.

On the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst had analyst Jonathan Givony and they talked about the situation with Sarr:

“He doesn’t really seem to want to play for the Hawks, even though he would be the No. 1 pick. He chose not to come practice for them and one wonders…now the Hawks have said privately that it was…they met him at the NBA Combine, they did all their research on him, they saw him play, they took his physicals, they took his tests, they did. talked to people as coaches, they have They have done their due diligence They say they would still take him and that he is in consideration for the No. 1 pick, along with Risacher and maybe a or. two other players. 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 what he thought about the situation:

“I’ve been told it’s not so much that Alex Sarr doesn’t want to play for Atlanta but rather for the Washington Wizards and maybe that’s semantics, maybe that’s polite mannerism to say it, but when you look at the Washington Wizards depth chart and compare it to the Atlanta Hawks depth chart with Jalen Johnson at the four, De’Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Clint Capela, I see their point of view where they look at the Wizards’ depth and they say, Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Kyle Kuzma… he probably sees himself as a trio Alex Sarr probably looks at that and says the opportunity to spend some minutes and. playing a really important role is really appealing.”

This talk of the Hawks still being interested in Sarr is a possible ploy to get the Wizards to move up on the No. 1 pick. It’s possible that the Hawks view him as the No. 1 player in this class and take him despite the fact that he hasn’t come to practice and would rather play for the Wizards.

During last Monday’s preliminary press conference, Hawks general manager Landry Fields had this to say about Sarr:

“He’s a good player, who should go pretty high from what I’ve heard. He has a lot of tools that you would want at the NBA level.”

While Sarr is touted as a top player on the defensive court, many questions arise about his offensive game. Fields was asked about this and what he thought about Sarr’s potential progression to that end:

“I think with Sarr and the other guys, you’re going to see some areas that they need to grow in. So for a guy that we bring in, we’re going to think very highly of him.”

However, over the past few weeks, Givony has mocked Risacher to the Hawks on ESPN and that hasn’t changed in his latest mock draft released this morning. Givony had more on the Hawks, including that they may not know exactly what they’re doing yet, a downside scenario and the possibility that Alex Sarr is still the pick:

“The Hawks continue to signal that they have yet to determine the direction of their draft night, which makes sense given the nature of this draft, the quality of talent at the top and the trade opportunities that could show up once they are on the counter.

They simultaneously have decisions to make with players already on their roster, including Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, who seem destined to part ways in the not too distant future. The New Orleans Pelicans are looming as a potential destination for one of them, with Brandon Ingram being the most attractive and accessible target on the Pels’ roster. Jalen Johnson appears to be the only player the Hawks won’t consider moving.

Risacher, as he has for much of the pre-draft cycle, continues to remain the No. 1 pick after a positive workout with Atlanta. Feedback from those who have seen him in the United States is that he is a better passer and does a better job of initiating contact and playing physical play than one would expect with his frame. thin.

Donovan Clingan, another favorite of the Hawks coaching staff, remains in play at No. 1, but he could be a more realistic option if the Hawks trade a few spots with the San Antonio Spurs, which might not happen. materialize before Spurs. are on the counter at number 4.

The Hawks getting their unprotected first rounder back from San Antonio in 2025 would be a huge bargain, but it’s unclear whether the Spurs would be willing to pay that high a price when other big trade opportunities don’t appear to be happening. be materialized in this way. far.

NBA teams say the Hawks are indicating they may take Alex Sarr first overall, which some say may be more of an attempt to force the Washington Wizards into a trade.

Last week, prominent NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported on what the teams behind Atlanta think the Hawks will do on Wednesday night:

“Atlanta will listen to No. 1, but the Hawks appear determined to hold on, sources said, while the front office finalizes which prospect to select at the top of a draft class full of question marks. At this point, most of the team’s personnel ” Players picking behind Atlanta believe the Hawks will ultimately choose between French wing Zaccharie Risacher and UConn center Donovan Clingan. “

Fischer also had this to say about the Hawks and Clint Capela:

“Atlanta, sources say, continues to make deals for veteran center Clint Capela, who is entering the final year of a contract that still owes the 30-year-old rim protector $22 million.”

I would still lean towards the Hawks selecting Risacher right now, but there is still a lot of uncertainty. The Hawks have just over 48 hours to make one of their most important decisions of the summer.