For quite awhile, the Washington Wizards have been looked at as one of the most unattractive destinations in the NBA.
Not only do free agents prefer not to play here, but often times potential draft picks have made it abundantly clear about their lack of desire to land in the DMV.
By no means is this a new issue. In fact, the problem runs back beyond the John Wall and Bradley Beal days, when Washington was at least in the mix of the Eastern Conference standing.
Considering the team's struggles to find a winning formula over the years, it doesn't exactly come as a surprise when talking about the lack of interest in the organization.
However, that all could be set to change thanks to the recent emergence of second-year man Alex Sarr.
Sarr, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has emerged as a big time player for the Wizards this season.
Despite Washington's struggles to start this year, the French product has turned heads and quietly turned the outlook surrounding the Wizards future from pessimism to optimism all with his play to start the year.
Finding himself in elite company with the likes of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, Sarr has proven to be one of the most dynamic players in the league and many have argued that he could be a point guard away from being an All-Star caliber player.
Proving all of this as a sophomore only suggests that Sarr is in position to get better as his career continues to unfold and if that's the case, expect players around the league begin to take notice.
Similar to how Wembanyama's presence attracted De'Aaron Fox to San Antonio, Sarr could play a similar role when it comes to attracting talent to join the movement in Washington.
While it may not be premiere stars at first, the team's financial flexibility to offer big money, mixed with the facr that they may have finally found a cornerstone to build around could be enough to put them back on the map as a suitable destination for prospects looking to get paid.
It may take some time, but don't be surprised to see players start to mention Sarr as a player they'd like to suit up alongside and as the fans continue to embrace the versatile forward, he'll begin to embrace the city even more.