NBA Draft News: Potential No. 1 Pick Responds to Skipping Hawks Workout

The NBA Draft is a little over 24 hours away, and there’s still no clear answer on who the Atlanta Hawks will select No. 1 overall.

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The Hawks, who lucked into 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 the best prospects ever since they secured the top pick. However, they haven’t exactly been able to see everyone.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields interviewed with 92.9 The Game on Tuesday and confirmed reports that potential top pick Alexandre Sarr declined his workout with Atlanta.

“[Sarr] was scheduled to come to work out, we had it on the books,” Fields said on Tuesday. “And then he declined to come work out.”

Fields added he knew whether or not Sarr worked out with other teams during this process, but declined to answer.

Sarr then spoke to reporters on Tuesday and was asked about the reports — and Landy’s confirmation — that he declined a workout with Atlanta. He gave a very safe answer.

“I have a great team around me — Bill Duffy and WME. They’ve already been through all of this and I trust them,” Sarr said. “I’m not going to get into the specifics of where I worked out or where I didn’t. But I’ve been doing my best in my workouts and that’s all I can control.”

Sarr seems to confirm he has worked out for other teams, which makes the decision to decline 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 the Australian National Basketball League. With Perth this past year, Sarr averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 17 minutes per game.

His size, length, and ability to space the floor will have him come off the board early on Wednesday night. He’s also such a raw talent that teams will be betting on his potential.

However, there appears to be some issue with Atlanta that’s led to him declining to work out 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 such as Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Atlanta could also trade the top pick on Wednesday as they look to reload for a postseason run in 2024-25 with more proven talent.

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Fields addressed that possibility on Tuesday, too.

“We have had calls on the No. 1 pick,” Fields said. “But I continue to say that unless something wows me, then we’re going to pick No. 1. That’s still as true today as the last time that I said it.”

It remains to be seen what Atlanta ends up doing on Wednesday night. But without getting a good look at Sarr, they may be deterred from taking him No. 1 overall.