New Orleans Pelicans Win 2019 NBA Draft Lottery

Outside of the ongoing NBA playoffs, one of the more exciting events in the league just took place, the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Many front office big wigs, agents, coaches, and fans awaited the results with baited breath. Coming into the event, the New York Knicks, Cleaveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns had the highest odds of landing the first overall pick with a 14 percent chance. The Chicago Bulls had 12.5 percent, while the Atlanta Hawks had 10.6 percent.

Of course, being a lottery, those chips don’t always land where they are likely to. With just a 6 percent shot to win it, the New Orleans Pelicans won the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery and now have the first overall pick. The Grizzlies, Knicks, Lakers and Cavaliers round out the top-5.

This draft class is widely considered to be a top-heavy one, with roughly the top-5 prospects being loaded with talent and promise, but seeing a steep drop in with the picks after that. Views like this have been made in the past, but at the end of the day should be taken with a grain of salt, because we should not underestimate the ability of young players’ desire and work ethic to surprisingly translate into an amazing NBA career.

This is a huge boon for newly installed general manager David Griffin (formerly of the Cavs), who now has the entire rookie draft class at his disposal. But does he? As far as experts are concerned, Duke’s Zion Williamson, who was awarded the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year in his freshman year in college, is far and away the consensus top choice for the first overall pick.

The Pelicans’ landing this opportunity is huge. They’ve had a rocky 2018-19 season, with Anthony Davis, arguably the best center in the world right now, requested to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The team held their ground at the NBA trade deadline and rebuffed all offers for him, keeping until the end of the season. With this development, the chance to share the frontcourt with a phenomenal athlete such as Zion, does Davis change his mind? That said, even if he does, it could all be for naught as the controversial and emotionally-charged events surrounding his trade request may have just burned the bridges between him and the organization. Ironically, teams like the Knicks and Lakers were hoping to win the lottery and offer up the first pick along with other players in a package to land Davis. It looks like the Pelicans will be blessed and get to have their cake and eat it too, at least in the context of getting as much as they can to rebuild in a likely post-Anthony-Davis era.

Here are the complete results of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery draw:

1. New Orleans Pelicans
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. New York Knicks
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Phoenix Suns
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Washington Wizards
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
11. Atlanta Hawks
12. Charlotte Hornets
13. Miami Heat
14. Boston Celtics