The dust has settled in the NBA Draft Lottery and the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The envelopes have been revealed and after finishing in the Top 4, the New Orleans Pelicans came out on top with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. For just the second time in franchise history, the Pelicans own the top pick in the draft. The last time they owned the No. 1 pick was in the 2012 NBA Draft, when they selected versatile big man Anthony Davis.
New Orleans entered the NBA Draft Lottery with a six percent odds of earning the top spot and in the end, things worked out in their favor. Newly-appointed VP of basketball operations David Griffin will have a busy offseason building the franchise now.
Picking Zion Williamson isn’t a foregone conclusion, given the circumstances surrounding AD, but acquiring Zion could be the next biggest step in keeping him. The Pelicans spent most of the 2018-19 regular season in a tug-of-war with Anthony Davis, who requested a trade early on in the year.
Now, the ball is slightly back in the front office’ court with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They have some assets to work with now to build their franchise into a contender. Here’s a look at three possible picks in this year’s NBA Draft.