Wizards’ Sarr to miss two weeks with hamstring strain, Carrington named replacement for Rising Stars

The Wizards’ list of injuries is growing. The franchise announced Thursday that center Alex Sarr would miss approximately two weeks with a hamstring strain.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft will not play in Saturday’s Rising Stars game due to the injury. He will still travel to Los Angeles to participate in the broader All-Star festivities alongside teammates Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, who are expected to play in the Rising Stars event.

Washington guard Bub Carrington will take Sarr’s spot on coach Tracy McGrady’s team during the competition. The NBA named four teams of first- and second-year players for the Rising Stars event. They’ll be coached by former players McGrady, Carmelo Anthony, Austin Rivers and Vince Carter during Saturday’s showcase.

Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, the top pick in last year’s draft, is also expected to miss the All-Star festivities with a foot sprain. Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey will replace him on “Team Melo.”

Sarr has shown massive improvements as a scorer in his second NBA season. He is averaging 17.2 points per game while improving his field goal percentage from 39.4% to 49.6%. The seven-footer has remained a defensive presence, ranking second in the league with two blocks per game.

He’ll join new teammates Anthony Davis and Trae Young on the bench for the foreseeable future. The Wizards added the two All-Stars via trades over the last month. Injuries — and a lack of urgency due to Washington’s 14-39 record — have kept the newcomers from making their Wizards debut.

Davis is sidelined with a hand injury, while Young deals with nagging knee and quad issues. Pontificators around the league have speculated that the Wizards could shut down Young and Davis for the season in an attempt to protect their upcoming draft pick, which is currently projected to land in the Top 5.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins denied the rumors when he appeared on “The Sports Junkies” on Tuesday.

“I would say highly likely,” Dawkins said, referring to the odds that the two new players make their Wizards debut this season. “That’s the goal. We want to see our guys together so we can build camaraderie and build some continuity towards the end of the season.”

The Wizards played their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday — a 138-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington returns to action with a home game against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 19.

For the fifth consecutive year, no Wizards will play in the All-Star game on Sunday evening. The last Washington player named to an All-Star team was guard Bradley Beal in 2021.

The Wizards, despite boasting a handful of promising players, will watch the new USA vs. the World format as fans. The league’s new set-up features three teams of All-Stars: two from the U.S. and one filled with international talent. 

The squads will face off in a miniature round-robin tournament with the top two teams advancing to a winner-take-all championship. Players from the victorious squad will receive $125,000 each. 

The fresh format is the NBA’s latest effort to revive an exhibition that has increasingly resembled a Harlem Globetrotters show in recent years. Commissioner Adam Silver, inspired by the ongoing Winter Olympics and last year’s NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, said he hopes the patriotic angle inspires more intense play. 

“We try to learn from everybody else,” Silver said during an appearance on ESPN in October. “I think the guys will be motivated because of the Olympic atmosphere, because of wanting to play for their country.”