Wizards' Sarr Misses Rising Stars with Hamstring Strain

Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr will miss the NBA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday due to a strained right hamstring, the team announced Thursday. The 20-year-old sophomore, selected second overall in the 2024 NBA draft, is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks, allowing him extra rest during the All-Star break.

Sarr had been slated to participate in the four-team tournament at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. He was assigned to Team TMac alongside Wizards rookie Tre Johnson and other young talents, including Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel and sophomores Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks, Cam Spencer of the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaylon Tyson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Kelel Ware of the Miami Heat. Despite the injury, Sarr plans to attend the festivities in Los Angeles with teammates Kyshawn George and Johnson.

The injury surfaced recently, with Sarr absent from Washington's last three games before the break: a matchup against the Sacramento Kings earlier in February, the Brooklyn Nets on February 7, and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. He had returned briefly for games against the New York Knicks...