Who is Alexandre Sarr? Meet the Potential No. 1 Pick in the 2024 NBA Draft

This year’s draft class has some international prospects at the top of the board who will be introduced to the broader basketball world on draft day.

Alexandre Sarr tops this group as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Even as a projected top pick, Sarr is relatively unknown due to his unique path to the league. Instead of taking the college basketball route, the 19-year-old French center made stops in the professional “Overtime Elite” league and the Australian NBL’s “Next Stars” program before declaring for the NBA Draft.

Who is Sarr and what will he bring to the team that selects him? Sports News takes a closer look below.

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Who is Alex Sarr?

Sarr is a 19-year-old French prospect who could go No. 1 overall for the Hawks in the 2024 NBA draft. He is a 7-foot center with a 7-4.25 wingspan and a 9-2 standing reach. , according to his NBA Draft Combine measurements.

Sarr is largely unknown due to his unorthodox path to the NBA.

Despite his young age, Sarr has already played in three professional leagues before entering the NBA Draft. He was part of Real Madrid’s youth program before moving to Atlanta in 2021 to join the new “Overtime Elite” league that produced top five picks like Amen and Ausar Thompson.

The Sporting News’ Gilbert McGregor profiled Sarr ahead of his sophomore OTE season in 2022.

OTE paid Sarr $100,000 over two seasons, where he earned second-team All-OTE honors. Just 18 years after that contract ended, Sarr chose to take his talents abroad.

For the 2023-24 season, Sarr joined the Australian NBL program “Next Stars” which has produced top picks like LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey. Sarr played a key role in helping the Perth Wildcats reach the NBL semi-finals, raising his NBA draft stock to the point where he is in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick.

Sarr’s older brother, Olivier, played college basketball at Wake Forest and Kentucky before signing with the Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2021.

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Alex Sarr Statistics

Sarr’s stats may not look like those of a potential No. 1 pick, but the rising star center isn’t a primary scorer.

You can find his stats from his final OTE season and his rookie NBL season below.

Year	League	Team	General practitioner	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	GPB	GSP	PPG
2022-23	TAKES AWAY	YNG Dreamerz	17	25.3	47.8	30.0	65.0	6.4	2.0	1.1	0.9	11.1
2023-24	NBL	Perth Wildcats	27	17.3	51.6	28.6	71.0	4.3	0.9	1.5	0.4	9.4

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Alex Sarr Mock Draft projection

Projection of simulated project: No. 1 to the Hawks

In a draft class that has more questions than answers, Sarr offers a higher level than most of his peers.

The 19-year-old impacts the game with his size, length, coordination and athleticism for a 7-footer. He is a mobile rim protector, shot blocker and lob receiver who has shown his potential with burgeoning offensive skills on the perimeter and in the post.

Even in a worst-case scenario where his offensive game never develops, he can still have a Derek Lively II-like impact as a high-energy, energetic big man.

The Hawks already have two centers, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, but with changes on the horizon in Atlanta, it can’t hurt to take the best player available.