Getty Zion Williamson is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
Zion Williamson is headed to New Orleans as the Pelicans surprisingly won the NBA draft lottery with just a six percent chance. This is one of the few years where the No. 1 pick was known regardless of who ended up winning the lottery. Now, the question is whether new Pelicans GM David Griffin can convince Anthony Davis to play with Williamson.
The NBA attempted to curb tanking by revising the rules so that there is not just one team that had the best chance to land the No. 1 pick. Heading into lottery night, the Knicks, Cavs and Suns all shared the best odds of winning the No. 1 pick at 14 percent. None of these teams were successful.
Williamson will be the No. 1 pick but the question before tonight was what jersey he would be holding up after Adam Silver called his name.
Zion Williamson Is the Favorite to Be the No. 1 Pick
There is typically a college player that is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick heading into the lottery. Rarely do we see a player like Williamson who is a consensus lock to be drafted No. 1. As for Williamson, he is already being diplomatic about where he is headed next.
“Whatever NBA team I land on, that’s where I want to be,” Williamson said, per Boston.com. “Whoever drafts me, that’s where I want to be.”
The Pelicans stopped short of publicly committing to Williamson, but all signs point to the Duke big man being in New Orleans next season.
The Grizzlies Have a Decision to Make at No. 2 Between Ja Morant & R.J. Barrett
The draft starts to get interesting at No. 2 where the Grizzlies will likely be deciding between Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett. Memphis already has Mike Conley running the point, but we have the Grizzlies taking Morant since he is our higher ranked player. Barrett is very much in play as a strong argument could be made that he fits better next to Conley.
The Knicks May Be the Biggest Losers After the NBA Draft Lottery
The Knicks may qualify as the biggest losers of the NBA draft lottery, but that is only based on the expectations heading into the night. New York will still be getting either Morant or Barrett at No. 3, and both are likely to turn into great pros. The challenge is neither of these players are Williamson, the player many in New York City were imagining in a Knicks uniform.
While the Knicks dropped, the Lakers soared up to No. 4 from the teens. This gives them a chance to potentially land an immediate impact player to pair with LeBron James.
Here is a look at our latest NBA mock draft with the updated lottery order for both rounds.
NBA Mock Draft 2019: 1st Round Picks
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| No. 1 Pelicans | PF Zion Williamson, Duke |
| No. 2 Grizzlies | PG Ja Morant, Murray State |
| No. 3 Knicks | SG RJ Barrett, Duke |
| No. 4 Lakers | SF De’Andre Hunter, Virginia |
| No. 5 Cavs | SG Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech |
| No. 6 Suns | PG Darius Garland, Vanderbilt |
| No. 7 Bulls | SG Cam Reddish, Duke |
| No. 8 Hawks | F Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga |
| No. 9 Wizards | C Jaxson Hayes, Texas |
| No. 10 Hawks | C Bol Bol, Oregon |
| No. 11 Timberwolves | PG Coby White, UNC |
| No. 12 Hornets | PF PJ Washington, Kentucky |
| No. 13 Heat | SF Romeo Langford, Indiana |
| No. 14 Celtics (via Kings) | F Sekou Doumbouya, Limoges |
| No. 15 Pistons | PF Brandon Clarke, Gonzaga |
| No. 16 Magic | SF Nassir Little, UNC |
| No. 17 Nets | G Tyler Herro, Kentucky |
| No. 18 Pacers | SF Keldon Johnson, Kentucky |
| No. 19 Spurs | F Cam Johnson, UNC |
| No. 20 Celtics (via Clippers) | SG Kevin Porter Jr., USC |
| No. 21 Thunder | SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech |
| No. 22 Celtics | PF Grant Williams, Tennessee |
| No. 23 Jazz | SF Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State |
| No. 24 Sixers | G Carsen Edwards, Purdue |
| No. 25 Blazers | SF KZ Okpala, Stanford |
| No. 26 Cavs (via Rockets) | C Bruno Fernando, Maryland |
| No. 27 Nets (via Nuggets) | SF Matisse Thybulle, Washington |
| No. 28 Warriors | G Ty Jerome, Virginia |
| No. 29 Spurs (via Raptors) | SF Admiral Schofield, Tennessee |
| No. 30 Bucks | G Luguentz Dort, Arizona State |
NBA Mock Draft 2019: 2nd Round Picks
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| 31. Nets (via Knicks) | C Goga Bitadze, Buducnost |
| 32. Suns | SF Dylan Windler, Belmont |
| 33. Sixers (via Cavs) | SF Louis King, Oregon |
| 34. Sixers (via Bulls) | C Mfiondu Kabengele, FSU |
| 35. Hawks | SF Jalen McDaniels, SDSU |
| 36. Hornets (via Wizards) | C Daniel Gafford, Arkansas |
| 37. Mavericks | SF Darius Bazley, USA |
| 38. Bulls (via Grizzlies) | F Chuma Okeke, Auburn |
| 39. Pelicans | PF Eric Paschall, Villanova |
| 40. Kings (via Timberwolves) | C Jontay Porter, Missouri |
| 41. Hawks (via Lakers) | PG Joshua Obiesie, Germany |
| 42. Sixers (via Kings) | PF Luka Samanic, Olimpija Ljubljana |
| 43. Timberwolves (via Heat) | PG Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s |
| 44. Hawks (via Hornets) | SF Brian Bowen, USA |
| 45. Pistons | PG Justin Robinson, Virginia Tech |
| 46. Magic (via Nets) | SF Aubrey Dawkins, UCF |
| 47. Kings (via Magic) | PF Isaiah Roby, Nebraska |
| 48. Clippers | PF Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest |
| 49. Spurs | SF Deividas Sirvydis, Lithuania |
| 50. Pacers | C Naz Reid, LSU |
| 51. Celtics | PG Tremont Waters, LSU |
| 52. Hornets (via Thunder) | PG Justin Wright-Foreman, Hofstra |
| 53. Jazz | C Nic Claxton, Georgia |
| 54. Sixers | C Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky |
| 55. Knicks (via Rockets) | PF Dedric Lawson, Kansas |
| 56. Clippers (via Blazers) | PG Chris Clemons, Campbell |
| 57. Pelicans (via Nuggets) | SG Tyus Battle, Syracuse |
| 58. Warriors | PF Ignas Brazdeikis, Michigan |
| 59. Raptors | SF Miye Oni, Yale |
| 60. Kings (via Bucks) | PG Devon Dotson, Kansas |
NBA Draft Lottery Odds 2019: Chances to Win the No. 1 Pick
Here is a look at each team’s chances to win the lottery and earn the No. 1 pick, per Tankathon.
| TEAM | ODDS |
| 1. NY Knicks | 14% |
| 2. Cleveland Cavs | 14% |
| 3. Phoenix Suns | 14% |
| 4. Chicago Bulls | 12.5% |
| 5. Atlanta Hawks | 10.5% |
| 6. Washington Wizards | 9% |
| 7. NOLA Pelicans | 6% |
| 8. Memphis Grizzlies | 6% |
| 9. Dallas Mavericks | 6% |
| 10. Minnesota T-Wolves | 3% |
| 11. LA Lakers | 2% |
| 12. Charlotte Hornets | 1% |
| 13. Miami Heat | 1% |
| 14. Boston Celtics (via Kings) | 1% |
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