Draft Preview: Alex Sarr Could Be Franchise-Altering Prospect for Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have a 9 per cent chance to land the No. 1 pick where Alex Sarr is expected to hear his name called in this summer's NBA draft

Jun 22, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Just take the best player available.

That’s what the Toronto Raptors have said their plans will be when the NBA draft rolls around later this summer. Fit can be worked out later. Trades are always an option, and you just never know what’s going to happen down the road. So, in a league where one player can radically change the fortunes of a franchise, take the upside prospect, and figure out the rest later.

That’s almost certainly what the Raptors will do if they capitalize on their 9% chance to land the No. 1 pick in this weekend’s NBA draft lottery.

Sure, Alex Sarr isn’t an ideal fit on Toronto’s roster right now. The Raptors already have two centers locked into multi-year contracts and it would be awkward playing Sarr alongside Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl.

But when a 7-foot-1 prospect with the kind of talent that Sarr possesses is available, you take him and don’t think twice.

“Sarr is the best prospect in this class,” said Nicholas Crain of FanNation’s NBA Draft site. “In the modern NBA, we continue to see mobile bigs with the ability to change the game defensively and space the floor offensively become extremely valuable. Whichever team has the No. 1 pick will have a hard time being talked out of taking Sarr.”

Sarr is the type of modern big Toronto could use long-term.

He’s mobile and versatile with the kind of switch-ability Poeltl lacks. He doesn’t have the three-point shooting skills of Kelly Olynyk, but he’s willing to shoot from the outside and his jumper looks developable.

He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 0.9 assists per game for the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s NBL this past year, while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 28.6% from three-point range. Those numbers certainly aren’t gaudy, but considering he was playing against grown men in a professional league, they’re impressive.

“The 7-footer is an elite shot blocker who can not only protect the rim, but also possesses the footwork and lateral mobility to defend in space,” Crain added. “On the offensive end, he is very comfortable putting the ball on the floor and has plus vision for a player of his position.”

Sarr’s shooting is really the biggest question right now.

Despite his size, he settles for more jumpers than he should and he’s not particularly efficient right now. His stroke looks relatively good, but the numbers suggest it needs work. Even his 71% free-throw stroke is just OK.

If Sarr can figure out his shooting, the upside is certainly there to be a game-changing player. He’s drawn comparisons to Jaren Jackson Jr. as the type of versatile defensive player who can space the floor some and looks relatively comfortable with the ball in his hands.

At the very least, Sarr should be an impact defender who will be more efficient finishing inside as he grows out his body. But if it all comes together for the 19-year-old Frenchman, this 2024 draft class may end up being far more impressive than draft prognosticators have been saying.