What this means for Zion Williamson
You can’t help but feel for Zion Williamson since he reportedly wanted to land with the Knicks instead of a team like the Pelicans. But this 2019 NBA Draft Lottery likely spotted both Murray State Racers point guard Ja Morant and Zion in places they didn’t they would wind up in.
Source: Zion Williamson Was 'Rooting' For Knicks To Win Lottery https://t.co/tIZtAKdVtZ
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 15, 2019
Morant looks like he could be taking the spot of Mike Conley at pick No. 2, but who knows what will happen with Zion with the Pelicans. With how the Pelicans handled the deadline deal with AD, or lack thereof, there could be any number of options Griffin and that front office explore ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft night.
Only a draft night trade would salvage the idea of Zion landing with the Pelicans, who could still be a while away from playoff contention. At least if Zion landed with the Suns, he would have star guard Devin Booker and another fellow first overall pick (or at least could be) in big man DeAndre Ayton. If he went with the Knicks, the potential in New York on the free agent market would be special.
If Zion does ultimately land in Pelicans, it could be a long time before we see him in the playoffs. It just feels like the Pelicans are so far out of playoff contention as is if AD is gone that this could take a long time to build back up. Point guard Jrue Holiday will also be a deciding factor in how good the Pelicans could be with Zion in the mix.