Potential No. 1 draft pick Alexandre Sarr is excited about the opportunity to play for the Atlanta Hawks

CHICAGO – As the 2024 NBA draft lottery was announced, 6-foot-1 Alexandre Sarr stretched out his long legs in the front row in hopes of checking out where he’ll play next season. After the stunning results were publicly announced, the much-touted Frenchman learned he could return to Atlanta to play for the lottery-lucky Hawks.

“I’m very excited,” Sarr told Andscape after Sunday’s draft lottery at McCormick Place West. “I just discovered what the order is. It tells me what team I will likely be working with…

“Jastrzębie is an exciting organization. They are going in the right direction. It’s great that they have the No. 1 pick.”

The Hawks entered the NBA draft lottery with only a 3% likelihood of landing the first pick on this yr’s draft. The only other time Atlanta made a top pick was in 1975 when it chosen David Thompson, who opted to sign a six-year, $3 million contract with the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association. The first round of the 2024 NBA draft will happen on June 26 in Brooklyn, New York.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said he was “shocked” to learn his franchise was the favorite.

“You look at percentages. But when I saw that we weren’t between 10th and 12th place, that’s how we made it to the top four. I thought to myself, “Okay. We feel good about it. ” said Fields, who didn’t bring the talisman with him. “A small surprise, but also a lot of emotions.”

Just before the sweepstakes was revealed, Hawks executive vice chairman and chief communications officer Garin Narain told people on his team, the NBA and the media that he had a sense his franchise could be highly valued. More than an hour earlier, Hawks vice chairman of player personnel Daniel Starkman wasn’t quite as optimistic as the odds were fifth-worst. But when the lottery combination was revealed behind closed doors, Starkey began to notice that a shocking result was on the horizon. The Hawks’ winning combination was 6-10-14-13, which resulted in the No. 1 pick.

Starkey and the remainder of the lottery viewers, including Utah Jazz general manager Danny Ainge, were locked out of messaging and unable to leave the secured room until the draft results were made public.

“I looked like the (winning) ball went out,” Starkey told Andscape. “I didn’t know how to react. Nobody in the room knows me. I behaved professionally. It got a little livelier when Landry was able to feel the excitement. I didn’t know what the protocol was. Internally I was excited.”

A yr ago, one other Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was the clear favorite to be chosen number 1 in the 2023 NBA draft. The Spurs team chosen the 6-foot-1 center as their best, and he didn’t disappoint, winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. together there is no consensus No. 1, Sarr is it is currently expected to be a alternative by ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

Sarr, 19, is averaging 9.4 points, 0.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this season and averaging 17.3 minutes for Perth in the Australian National Basketball League. He began gaining interest from NBA scouts after playing in two exhibition games against G League Ignite in Las Vegas in September 2023. Sarr showed off his athleticism with high dunks and shot blocking, and he rebounded well and guarded much shorter players. Sarra’s brother, Olivier, is a two-way player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sarr believes he needs to be first alternative.

“I bring lots of versatility with me. I can really make an impact. I’m changing the rules of the game defensively,” Sarr told Andscape.

With all due respect to Sarr, nevertheless, expect the Hawks to do their due diligence.

Fields said the Hawks will “take a deep dive” in evaluating draft prospects. He wasn’t sure how a lot of them he would consider when deciding on the most suitable option. Other potential top draft prospects the Hawks could work with and visit include JL Bourg forward Zaccharie Risacher, Kentucky point guards Reed Sheppard and Robert Dillingham, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis and Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.

Last season, the Hawks missed the playoffs with a disappointing 36-46 record and a loss in the play-in tournament. Atlanta has two standout guards who’ve been in trade rumors for months, three-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 Dejounte Murray.

“I feel good about what we will build next,” Fields told Andscape. “We have a lot of great players in Atlanta.”

There is a powerful possibility that the Hawks will visit Sarra privately this week during the NBA draft. The Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the second, third and fourth picks, respectively, and will also request visits. Then, Sarr said, he’ll return to Santa Barbara, California, for further training and preparation for team visits. Fields told Andscape that he has watched Sarr play in Australia this season, but declined to reveal what he thinks of him as a player.

If Sarr is chosen by the Hawks, he can have no problem acclimating to Atlanta after his recent two-year stint in Atlanta. He played for Overtime Elite in Atlanta from 2021-2023 before signing with Perth last season. Overtime Elite was founded in 2021 and serves as a pathway for elite teenage basketball players to play in the league against other talented players on their way to the NBA or other skilled leagues. Former Overtime Elite guards Amen and Ausar Thompson were the fourth and fifth picks, respectively, in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Sarr said that when he played for Overtime Elite, he attended “a lot of Hawks games” and enjoyed the “awe of the crowd.”

“I do know somewhat about Atlanta. I didn’t do much. I used to be just on my way to school and at the gym. It’s an important city,” Sarr said.

Sarr could be comfortable playing in Atlanta. Time will tell if the Hawks feel the same. Atlanta has a alternative: draft him, select one other prospect, or trade him for one other player. This is an enormous and unexpected problem for Atlanta, considering it has overcome overwhelming odds to land in such a coveted position.

Asked if the Hawks would keep the No. 1 pick, Landry told Andscape: “I do not know. We’ll see.”