Washington Wizards former second overall pick Alexandre Sarr set an NBA Summer League record with eight blocks.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 13: Alex Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards is guarded by TJ Bamba #55 of the Brooklyn Nets in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
TheWashington Wizards have had a tough go over the past few years, but the latest performance from their 2024 second overall pick could be a bright spot for the team in the future.
Alex Sarr, drafted by Washington last year, set an NBA Summer League record with eight blocks in the team’s 102-96 win over theBrooklyn Nets. Sarr also had 16 points and 12 rebounds, while leading the team with a +16 while on the floor.
Sarr averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks on 39.4% shooting in 67 regular-season games for Washington in his rookie season, finishing fourth inRookie of the Year voting in 2024-25.
The Wizards’ latest first-round draft pick, Tre Johnson, also had a strong performance in his second-ever Summer League game, finishing with a team-high 21 points on 7/11 shooting.
Sarr On The Rise
Sarr’s eight blocks in the Summer League beat the previous record of seven, which occurred five times in history, with Jaren Jackson Jr. being the latest to hit that mark in 2018.
Sarr’s performance in Washington’s second Summer League game was a big jump from his first, as he had 15 points, four rebounds, and three blocks in their previous 19-point loss to thePhoenix Suns.
Though the Wizards still have low expectations for next season, Sarr’s recent numbers shows he has the potential to dominate on the defensive end of the floor.
Even though it’s only the Summer League, the 20-year-old looked like the best player on the floor at multiple points in the game. With that showing, Sarr proved that he can develop into the kind of modern big man who finds success in today’s NBA.
Though the second overall pick in last year’s draft, Sarr went under the radar for the Wizards last season as they finished at the bottom of the East with a record of 18-64. He finished second amongst rookies in blocks per game and fourth in points per game, but while Washington struggled, his numbers didn’t lead to much national attention.
His shooting, specifically from deep, left a lot tobe desired, but as the year went on, he looked more and more confident as a player with the potential to elevate his all-around scoring ability.
Sarr led rookies last year in shots per game. While the teammates around him differed significantly from players likeStephon Castle on theSan Antonio Spurs andZaccharie Risacher on theAtlanta Hawks, he looked more confident than many expected as an immediate contributor in his first NBA season.
Washington’s Young Core
While the Wizards haven’t made the playoffs in four years and haven’t finished with more than 40 wins in seven years, they have hope that their new young core will have the ability to bring them back to the level of a competitive basketball teamgoing forward.
Featuring both Sarr and Johnson as their latest top draft picks over the past two years, they also have a roster that featuresBub Carrington,Kyshawn George, andBilal Coulibaly.
Along with their youth, Washington also has veteransKhris Middleton andMarcus Smart under contract for next season. They’ve made multiple moves over the offseason, including tradingJordan Poole forC.J. McCollum and addingCam Whitmore from theHouston Rockets.
The Wizards expect to buy out a few of their more experienced players before next season, which would give a better runway to develop and give more attention to their latest draft picks.
During the introductory press conference for their most recent draft picks of Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins expressed his excitement for the future of the team.
“I think we got better over the last couple of nights,”Dawkins said in the team’s press conference following the 2025 NBA Draft. “I think we’ve done a really good job as an organization targeting people… We’re digging deeper and finding as many sources as possible, and when they come inthey usually just confirm who they are.”
The Wizards finished last season tied with theirlowest amount of wins in franchise history, with just 18 under the first full year of head coach Brian Keefe. In whatis expected to bea weakened Eastern Conference next season, they will have the potential to reach heights they haven’t seen this decade.