Atlanta Hawks Win NBA Lottery And Will Select Alex Sarr With No. 1 Overall Pick
The Atlanta Hawks won the NBA lottery, landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft. Though the Hawks only had a 3% chance of winning, the team will select Francophone big man Alex Sarr, 19, with the top pick.
Sarr, a 7-foot center who plays for Australia's NBL team, averages 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 2.1 steals per game. He also shoots 61.5% from the field. Though his outside shot needs development and he doesn't create off the dribble, Sarr's elite defense and rebounding for a player of his size make him an intriguing prospect.
The rest of the top five picks in draft order are as follows:
Washington Wizards - Nikola Topica, G, KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) Houston Rockets - Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky San Antonio Spurs - Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite Detroit Pistons - Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
The Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Memphis Grizzlies round out the top ten picks in that order. The Hornets will select Matas Buzelis, a 6-foot-10 forward who played for the G League Ignite team despite struggling mightily alongside teammate Ron Holland. The Trail Blazers will select UConn center Donovan Clingan, a 7-foot-2 shot-blocking center who won two national titles with the program. Clingan is a likely lottery pick, but his limited playing time and less refined game make him a risky selection this high on the board. The Grizzlies will select Reed Sheppard, a 6-foot-2 guard who shot 42% from three for the season. Sheppard was not expected to leave Kentucky after only one season but quickly established himself as one of the best shooters in the draft.