NBA Draft 2024 Rumors: Alex Sarr to Hawks at No. 1 Expected by 'Many' Around League

French center Alex Sarr is reportedly viewed within the league as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, many in the NBA anticipate the Atlanta Hawks taking Sarr with the top pick because "there are compelling reasons to consider him the best prospect in this class with his elite physical tools, mobility, defensive versatility, finishing ability and potential as a perimeter shooter."

Givony and Woo also noted there is an expectation that the Washington Wizards will use the No. 2 overall pick on whoever is left between Sarr and French forward Zaccharie Risacher.

While French center Victor Wembanyama was the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs last year, things are far less certain entering the 2024 NBA draft.

This year's class is widely considered to be fairly light on top-end talent, and there is no can't-miss prospect in the mold of Wembanyama.

With that said, Sarr has long been heralded as a potential No. 1 overall pick, and he has a chance to be a star at the next level thanks to his size and diverse skill set.

The 7'1" Sarr played for Perth of Australia's National Basketball League this past season, and he was relatively productive, averaging 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

His numbers look more impressive because he made 52.0 percent of his shots from the field and only played 17.2 minutes per contest.

The Hawks' top two players are guards in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, so taking a big like Sarr makes sense, especially since center Clint Capela has only one year remaining on his contract.

Both Young and Murray were the subject of trade rumors throughout the 2023-24 season, but Sarr is the type of player who can be useful to the Hawks both with or without either of Young or Murray, so it is understandable why he may be the leading candidate to go No. 1.

The Hawks missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020, but they made it to the play-in as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference at 36-46.

They were nowhere near being one of the worst teams in the league, but the draft lottery worked in their favor, as they secured the No. 1 overall pick despite having only 3 percent odds to do so.

That means the Hawks are playing with house money in some respects since they were never supposed to have a shot at the top player in the draft.

There is an argument to be made for the Hawks going with a high-ceiling player or a high-floor player, but in a draft with so much uncertainty, it can be argued that Sarr fits the bill for both.