The Washington Wizards have completed an eye-opening trade for Deandre Ayton in which they parted with sharpshooting guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks. It's a move that may very well give Anthony Davis the center he's long wished to play alongside.
The reality that remains in Washington, however, is that Ayton isn't the best center on the team. Assuming Anthony Davis is a 4, that title belongs to Alex Sarr.
Sarr, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, has been a rare bright spot for the Wizards over the past two seasons. He's played with impressive intensity on the defensive end of the floor considering his teammates haven't often provided the same.
Sarr has also made significant improvements on offense, which suggests that his third year in the NBA could be his best all-around campaign to date.
If Sarr continues to progress as he has, then he should remain the priority over Ayton. For one, while Ayton is still relatively young as a soon-to-be 28-year-old, Sarr is still just 21 years of age. More importantly, however, Sarr is simply the better player in the present and the future alike.
Ayton could provide invaluable minutes as an offensive complement to Davis, but Sarr is still the best center on the roster. Several numbers prove it.
Alex Sarr is still the best center on the Washington Wizards
Sarr finished his rookie season in 2024-25 with averages of 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 offensive rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, 0.7 steals, and 1.6 three-point field goals made in 27.1 minutes per game. Those are respectable numbers, but he shot at a clip of just .394/.308/.679.
Despite playing just 0.1 more minutes per game, Sarr boosted those numbers to 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 offensive rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 three-point field goal made on .482/.333/.692 shooting in 2025-26.
In virtually identical minutes, Sarr increased his production by 3.3 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.3 offensive boards, 0.3 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.1 steals per game. He also increased his field goal percentage by 8.8 percent and saw jumps of 2.5 percent from three and 1.3 percent at the charity stripe.
Sarr did all of this without increasing his turnovers or personal fouls per game averages from his rookie year, remaining steady at strong rates of 1.7 and 2.2 respectively.
Alex Sarr's potential, defensive intensity should make him the priority
Ayton clearly has a strong skill set to offer Washington, particularly with a defensive-minded big in Davis playing alongside him. What Sarr can provide, however, is consistency on the defensive end of the floor as far as intensity and commitment are concerned.
That's the ultimate contrast from Ayton, who may have the talent of a star, but has long been criticized for his inconsistency on defense.
With Sarr, the Wizards have a player who ranked No. 2 in the NBA in blocks per game and forced opponents to shoot 5.9 percent worse from within 10 feet of the rim. Ayton, meanwhile, averaged half as many blocks and offered a decrease of 3.4 percent at the rim.
Furthermore, for the purpose of working the ball inside to Davis, Sarr's spacing offers more value than Ayton's with 155 threes through two seasons compared to Ayton's 28 in eight years. Even putting team structure aside, however, Sarr had Ayton beat in 2025-26 by 5.1 points, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.4 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
If the goal is to develop talent, prioritize defense, optimize spacing, and generate offense from multiple angles, then Sarr is simply the better center for the Wizards.
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