Alex Sarr breaks silence after rejecting Hawks pre-draft workout request

Tomorrow is the first round of the NBA Draft and the Atlanta Hawks are ranked first overall. While the NBA world awaits the Hawks’ decision, it appears their roster has already been made for them. Alex Sarr, one of the top picks in the NBA Draft, reportedly turned down workout requests from the Hawks.

During a recent media availability session, Sarr addressed the rumors that he would not be coaching for the Hawks, according to Baillie Burmaster of Atlanta News First. Sarr appeared to imply that it was at the behest of his agent that he would not be coaching for the Hawks.

“I have a great team around me, Bill Duffy and WME, they’ve been through it all,” Sarr said. ‘I trust them. I’m not going to go into details about where I did or didn’t train, but I did my best in my workouts and that’s all I can control.

During the media session, Alex Sarr was asked if he wanted to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, which would mean going to the Hawks. Sarr explained that while it is always a player’s dream to become No. 1, sometimes the situation you find yourself in is the most important thing.

“For me it’s more important to get drafted,” Sarr said. “I think at the end of the day that’s the most important thing, and you just have to be grateful for that. I think I can have an impact on winning any team I end up with. I have quite a lot of confidence in that. I think my defensive versatility and the fact that I can play in different positions offensively makes me a high-impact player when it comes to winning.”

The Hawks roster could look very different after the NBA Draft

After two seasons of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray playing in the backcourt, the Hawks are reportedly looking to make a change this season. Murray has put up numbers similar to his All-Star season with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021-2022, but the production hasn’t translated into wins on the court.

Depending on whether the Hawks decide to acquire Murray or Young, there will certainly be several interested teams. Both players are All-Star caliber and can help many teams in the league.

But first, the Hawks’ biggest question this offseason is who they will select with the No. 1 overall pick. If players refuse to work out for teams, it doesn’t necessarily mean those teams won’t draft them. But if Alex Sarr is truly adamant about not going to the Hawks, the team will likely turn their attention to Zaccharie Risacher.

Like Sarr, Risacher played professionally last season. While Sarr played in Australia, Risacher played in France. The last time the Hawks had the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft was in 1975, when they selected David Thompson. One possible reason Sarr doesn’t want to go to the Hawks could be because there is a path to more playing time and a bigger role with the Washington Wizards at No. 2, given the makeup of both teams’ current rosters.