Winner, winner: Pelicans win draft lottery

NBA Draft: June 20th

May 15, 2019 1:42 AM

Kevin Lewis,

Posted: May 15, 2019 1:42 AM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:28 PM

by Kevin Lewis

Former Duke star Zion Williamson is the presumptive overall number one pick.
Pelicans Executive VP of Operations David Griffin celebrates his lottery win.

Chicago — New Orleans has bucked the odds and won the NBA draft lottery, and now will have the first chance at choosing Zion Williamson next month.

The Pelicans won the lottery for the first time since 2012, when they chose Anthony Davis. And the lottery win comes after a season when Davis wanted a trade — something that might not seem so appealing to him now, not with Williamson likely coming to New Orleans.

Memphis will choose second, New York third and the Los Angeles Lakers will pick fourth.

Williamson says he has never been to New Orleans. That might soon change.

The Bucks will have the final (30th) pick of the first round after finishing the regular season with the league’s best record.

The NBA Draft is Thursday, June 20th in Brooklyn.