NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – When it comes to the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the Pelicans are hoping to find some mojo from the Duke connection.
Zion Williamson will be in Chicago on Monday night (May 12) to represent the Pelicans in the NBA Draft Lottery, a team source confirms to Fox 8.
With everything left up to chance now, the Pelicans hold the fourth-best odds (12.5%) to land the No. 1 overall pick, which would presumably be Cooper Flagg out of Duke.
In 2019, Williamson was taken No. 1 overall by New Orleans after a meteoric rise during his lone season at Duke.
The Pelicans may be hoping some good Blue Devil voodoo will be in their favor once again.
Last month, the Pelicans made the move to hand over the direction of the franchise to new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. Much of Dumars’s vision is still unknown, but sending Williamson as the team’s representative to the NBA Draft Lottery gives insight into the star’s future status.
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Coming into New Orleans, Dumars is facing questions on what to do with front office personnel and the current roster after a disastrous season. So far, head coach Willie Green and general manager Bryson Graham have remained in their positions, while Senior Vice President Swin Cash was let go and replaced with former Pistons executive Troy Weaver.
Before Dumars’s tenure, Williamson, despite being taken No. 1 overall in 2019, had never represented the Pelicans as the face of the franchise at any draft-related events.
If the Pelicans continue to build around Williamson, there’s a strong young core under contract through the foreseeable future that includes forwards Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and center Yves Missi.
That core could potentially add a Top 5 draft talent if the ping pong balls fall in their favor Monday night, which will air at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
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