The New Orleans Pelicans entered Tuesday night with a 6 percent chance of winning the NBA lottery. They won. Pandemonium and jubilation have struck the Big Easy. But what’s next?
Well, the New Orleans Pelicans will no longer have to worry about trading for the rights of Zion Williamson. They now own the consensus number one pick, free of charge. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, that whole Anthony Davis thing is still lingering over the team. How should the organization approach it now?
The New York Knicks were rumored to have interest in moving the first pick if they won it for the services of Anthony Davis. But, the basketball gods were not in favor, as they often aren’t for the Knicks. New York landed the third overall pick, which in reality is a nice consolation prize, just isn’t Zion Williamson.
Knicks will shift focus to a deal for Anthony Davis if they get the No. 1 pick, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/Z0aSXonVXA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 14, 2019
It’s not the ideal outcome, but their pick is likely to result in either Ja Morant or R.J Barrett. Either player has tremendous upside and could fit well in New York. Or, could they still want to move their lottery pick for an opportunity at Anthony Davis? In fact, could they now be more willing than ever to pursue Davis knowing they might not have to give up a generational talent like Williamson for him?
The possibilities are endless! This is madness! The Knicks have significant cap space, we know this. They’ve been bad for a long, long time. Again, we know this. They have a legitimate shot at landing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, why would they not want to incorporate a third star and rival the powers of the NBA?
The Memphis Grizzlies landed second, so a lot is riding on their eventual decision this Draft as well. Mike Conley is not getting any younger, and it’s conceivable that he does not resign after his contract expires in 2019-20 (he has a player option for the following year). Ja Morant could be their point guard of the future.
Which means, with the third pick, the Knicks could trade their selection to the New Orleans Pelicans in a package for Anthony Davis. Barrett and Williamson were teammates at Duke, and are acclimated with each other. They fell short in college, failing to capture a National Championship, but that could motivate the college stars to provide a dynamic tandem that translates to the NBA game.
But what could this hypothetical trade look like? Let’s try and break it down.
The Pelicans were also rumored to have interest in Kevin Knox. It would be nice to land Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks, but that price may be a little too steep. The 2023 protected first-round pick has a variety of outcomes, it could convey for multiple years as it’s protected 1-10. The 2021 pick would be additional insurance for departing with one of the league’s best stars, still at the age of 26. We ranked the assets of the Knicks in a previous article, going further in depth, here.
This is an exciting time to be a Pelicans fan. What do you think? Should the Pelicans interest this idea? Could Zion be enough to make AD stay? Possibilities are in abundance. Let us know in the comments below!