2024 NBA Draft: Ranking the top center prospects, including potential No. 1 pick Alex Sarr

Yahoo Sports is breaking down the top players in the 2024 NBA Draft by position this week. On Monday, we ranked the best point guards in this class. Today, we take a look at the centers, led by potential No. 1 pick Alex Sarr. This could be the second year in a row a French center goes No. 1 overall, with the San Antonio Spurs picking Victor Wembanyama last year.

The center position is changing in the NBA and becoming more of a hybrid role. Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren are both very comfortable in the open court and taking players off the dribble, and the Minnesota Timberwolves have found success by having multiple 7-footers on the court at the same time.

There are no unicorn-like center prospects in this draft class, but there are still plenty of good options for teams looking to add some height and rim protection. Here’s a look at the top center prospects as teams sort through their draft boards preparing for the 2024 NBA Draft on June 26-27.

1. Alex Sarr

Ht./Wt.: 7-1, 225 pounds | Age: 19

Sarr has had one of the most unique paths to the NBA. Originally from France, he turned pro at 14 and played in Spain and France before coming to the U.S., where he didn’t go to college but elected to join Overtime Elite’s semi-pro league for two years. Last season he moved halfway around the world to play for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s National Basketball League leading up to the NBA Draft.

“The professional route just suits me better as a player and has helped me develop my game better,” Sarr told Yahoo Sports last fall. “The spacing allows me more freedom and versatility, so that’s why I chose to play in the NBL and not college.”

Sarr is an elite rim protector and showed more promise with his pick-and-pop game during the shooting drills at the combine. The Atlanta Hawks have the No. 1 pick and will likely be considering Sarr or wing Zaccharie Risacher if they keep the pick. Sarr has the potential to become an inside-out center like Wembanyama and Holmgren with how well he moves off the ball and his shot creation off the block.

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Ht./Wt.: 7-2, 282 pounds…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-11 14:44:33

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