Alexandre Sarr breaks silence on rumors of ducking Hawks workout

Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields spoke candidly when asked about the lack of a private workout with potential top pick Alexandre Sarr. He said they had the 7-foot Frenchman of the Perth Wildcats on the docket but that Sarr’s camp canceled the meeting. 

Fields said he knew which teams Sarr had worked out for but declined to say. 

Sarr, in his first comments since the draft winds have shifted did not offer much clarity on the situation.

“I have a great team around me; Phil Duffy and WME,” Sarr told ATL News First’s Baillie Burmaster on June 24. “They’ve already been through all of this, and I trust them. I’m not gonna get into specifics of where I worked out and where I didn’t. But I’ve been doing my best in my workouts, and that’s all I can control.

“Of course [I want to be the No. 1 pick]. I’m a competitor. But for me it’s more important to me to be drafted. I think at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important, and you just gotta be grateful for that.”

Sarr’s team also represents Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

The Hawks infamously drafted Doncic only to trade him to the Mavericks for Trae Young in a package deal that continues to be a flashpoint for both organizations.

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There has been a lot of speculation about that trade coming together. But Young’s father has insisted Doncic was never going to land in Atlanta while Mavericks owner Marc Cuban detailed how that trade came together.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported on players ducking the Hawks last year too.

“We can talk about all the situation in Atlanta with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray and all the drama that's around there and, maybe, that's not a situation that is that attractive to a young player,” Givony said on “The Hoop Collective on June 24. “A lot of players tried to avoid the Hawks last year.”

Sarr previously spoke highly of possibly landing with the Hawks in the draft. He was more measured this time.

“I think I can impact winning on any team I land at,” Sarr said. “I’m confident in that. I think my defensive versatility and offensively being able to play different spots make me an impactful player on winning.”

The Hawks may not be swayed by Sarr’s (or his camp’s) sentiments.

“What the Hawks have said privately is they did meet with him at the combine, they've done their whole batch of research on him, they've seen him play, they have his medicals, they have his testing, they have talked to people as coaches. They've done their full due diligence,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Givony. “They say they would still take him, and that he's under consideration for the No. 1 pick along with Risacher and maybe another player or two.”