The Washington Wizards have desperately been searching for a player that they can build around and turn the page in their long-awaited and struggling rebuild.
Washington took swings on lottery prospects in each of the last few years.
Deni Avdija is thriving in Portland thanks to the Wizards lack of patience and desire to move on too soon.
Bilal Coulibaly has shown promise, but the idea of him becoming a premiere talent in the NBA still seems more unlikely than anything else.
Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George are raw prospects with plenty of upside, but even at their peak it's hard to imagine they alter the state of the Wizards rebuild.
Tre Johnson may be the Wizards most hopeful player after his strong Summer League showing, but even then fans and the front office don't exactly know what to expect from the former Texas star in year one.
The one lottery pick that wasn't mentioned? Alex Sarr.
Sarr has everything he needs to be a difference-maker in the NBA and the Wizards thought he could be the player to help dig the franchise out of the constant cycle of mediocrity selecting him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
However, after his rookie season, it almost feels safe to say that the French product showed that there's more for him to work on than there is for fans to be excited about.
it's tough to face the reality of the situation, but at 7-foot, with his wing span and athleticism, Washington drafted him hoping he could become their version of a Victor Wembanyama or Kristaps Porzingis.
Sarr has the tools to be that type of player, but he struggles in areas that a player his size should thrive at and that's saying the very least.
The big man is inefficient around the rim, his shooting from the perimeter isn't much better and with his inability to prove reliable in the post, it almost makes his offense playing style hard to gel with for surrounding teammates.
And you would think that his defensive instincts and shot-blocking ability would be an area of hope, but considering most of his blocks come from the weak side help, it makes it blatantly obvious just how much he struggles as a primary defender.
If Sarr can't figure out how to improve both his offensive game inside the paint and defensive presence on the ball, his ceiling with the Wizards drops tremendously.