On Tuesday, Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Perth big man Alex Sarr has not come to their facility for a workout ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. The Hawks hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, which is set to begin on Wednesday, Jun. 26.
“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields reveals (h/t Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks). “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”
Fields on whether he’s bothered by Sarr not coming in:
“I don’t take a large offense to that because it’s nothing novel. This is something agents do.”
Fields also declined to give detail on what the explanation was from Sarr’s side.
Also said Sarr was only player to decline.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) June 25, 2024
“I don’t take a large offense to that because it’s nothing novel,” Fields adds. “This is something agents do.”
As Sarr’s been projected to be No. 1 pick in the draft for much of the calendar year, this has led to many questions. In his own words, the 19-year-old says that he wants to be the No. 1 pick “as a competitor.”
However, by saying “it’s more important to be drafted,” he invited doubt about where his mind is at in the process.
Alex Sarr on whether he wants to be the No. pick in the 2024 NBA Draft: “Of course, as a competitor, but for me it’s more important to be drafted.” pic.twitter.com/azHFrY74SQ
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 25, 2024
Addressing the elephant in the room, Sarr proclaims: “I have a great team around me… I trust them.”
Alex Sarr on Hawks’ Landry Fields saying potential No. 1 pick declined to work out for them: “I have a great team around me. … I trust them. I’m not going to get into the specifics of where I worked out and where I didn’t.” pic.twitter.com/ufIFUD3J36
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 25, 2024
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of where I worked out and where I didn’t,” he continues. “But I’ve been doing my best in my workouts and that’s all I can control.”
Does Alex Sarr’s Agent Trust The Hawks?
As of now, it appears that Sarr’s representation (WME) is behind his decision to hold the Hawks at arm’s length. There’s a chance that the tumultuous Trae Young era has turned his agents off to the idea of him playing in Atlanta. To that point, there’s been no shortage of trade rumors and locker room drama since his arrival.
However, it’s rumored that Sarr simply believes himself to be a power forward and that it makes him an imperfect fit for the Hawks.
If true, this makes some sense on the surface, as Jalen Johnson has similar scoring tendencies. Yet, Atlanta traded longtime starting power forward John Collins last offseason. His replacement, Saddiq Bey is a restricted free agent this season. As a result, he can play power forward for the Hawks. Put bluntly, the argument that he couldn’t play power forward in Atlanta is fallacious.
There is an interesting aspect of this story that hasn’t been discussed much though. Sarr is represented by Bill Duffy, who is also Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić’s agent. Notably, the Hawks are the team who originally selected Dončić before trading him to the Mavs on draft night. According to former Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk, Atlanta would’ve kept the pick and Dončić but were swayed by Dallas offering another lottery pick.
Schlenk adds that Duffy believed Dončić was going to be drafted by the Hawks and was excited about it.
Perhaps Duffy hasn’t forgotten Atlanta changing their mind about Dončić at the twelfth hour. That’s not to say he’s looking for some sort of payback. However, the situation may have fomented a level of distrust. Notably, while Duffy represents over three dozen active NBA players, none of them play for the Hawks.
