Alex Sarr Injured, Updates on Wizards Star's Timeline to Return and Impact on NBA All-Star Weekend
The Washington Wizards announced Thursday that second-year center Alex Sarr is expected to miss approximately two weeks of action due to a strained right hamstring.
That means Sarr will be unable to compete in the 2026 Rising Stars Challenge, which is set for Friday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend.
Sarr had been scheduled to play for Team T-Mac in the four-team tournament, which features the NBA's top rookies, sophomores and G League players.
The Wizards announced that Sarr's teammate, second-year guard Bub Carrington, will replace him in the Rising Stars Challenge as part of Team T-Mac:
Selected second overall by Washington in the 2024 NBA draft, Sarr had his fair share of ups and downs as a rookie.
The 7-foot Frenchman started all 67 games he appeared in, averaging 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 three-pointers made and 1.5 blocks per contest, while shooting 39.4 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Sarr finished fourth in NBA Rookie of the Year voting coming out of what was widely panned as one of the worst draft classes in recent memory.
However, there is no question that Sarr has taken his game to the next level this season, and the 20-year-old is now looking like a potential All-Star in the making.
In 41 games this season, Sarr is averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 three-pointer made per contest. His efficiency has taken a huge leap forward as well, as he is shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from deep.
At 14-39, the Wizards have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, so there is little reason for them to be anything other than abundantly cautious with arguably their best young player.
Losing games would actually be beneficial the rest of the way in terms of giving the Wizards the best possible chance to win the NBA draft lottery and land a potential franchise player such as BYU's AJ Dybantsa or Kansas' Darryn Peterson.
Washington has already positioned itself to be a much-improved team next season with the acquisitions of guard Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks and power forward Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks.
Neither Young nor Davis have played for the Wizards yet due to injury, but a strong core is in place, led by Sarr, Young, Davis, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly.
Sarr had been set to team with Johnson on Team T-Mac in the Rising Stars Challenge, along with Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel and sophomores Zaccharie Risacher of the Hawks, Cam Spencer of the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaylon Tyson of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kel'el Ware of the Miami Heat.
With Sarr on the shelf, the Rising Stars Challenge will now be without two of the biggest names who were supposed to be part of the event, as Mavericks superstar forward and 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg is out due to a midfoot sprain.
