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NBA Draft Lottery: Where do Chicago Bulls rank in terms of needing Zion?

By Luke Askew

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils speaks during a press conference after being awarded the AP Player of the Year award prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils speaks during a press conference after being awarded the AP Player of the Year award prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

1. New Orleans Pelicans

Lottery odds: 6.0%

Thanks in large part to Anthony Davis’ trade request, the New Orleans Pelicans are in an incredibly tough position as a franchise. It would be different if it was a team like the New York Knicks that was about to lose Anthony Davis. The Knicks will always be around, and New Yorkers will always show up at The Garden. The Pelicans, on the other hand, aren’t in a very good basketball market.

Actually, let me rephrase that. New Orleans is a terrible basketball city. During the 2018-19 season, the Pelicans ranked 25th in attendance. If they lose Anthony Davis… yikes.

Whatever NOLA gets in return for Davis won’t be enough to actually replace the 26-year-old big man. It’s nearly impossible to get equal value back when you have to deal a guy like AD. But if the Pelicans could add Zion Williamson to whatever assets they get in return for Davis? Now they’re talking.

Let’s say, for example, the Pelicans trade Davis to Boston for Jayson Tatum (and others). Building around a Tatum-Williamson duo would make them one of the league’s scariest young teams.

Next. 3 guys to avoid in the 2019 NBA Draft. dark

Davis leaving NOLA is almost a foregone conclusion. So if the Pelicans don’t win the lottery, they’ll be taking a big step backward. For a basketball organization that’s trying to survive in a football city, regression isn’t a good thing. In fact, it could be what causes the demise of professional basketball in New Orleans.

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