Projected first overall pick Zion Williamson met with New Orleans Pelicans' representatives in Chicago to discuss his future with the franchise, and the Duke University freshman had a positive reaction to the meeting. He believes that New Orleans will be a great place to start his career, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: Zion Williamson met in Chicago with the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies, the top two teams in the Draft lottery. Williamson had a positive meeting with New Orleans and prior to lottery, he cited Pelicans as a targeted team to start career.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 16, 2019
The Pelicans won the first overall pick in the recently concluded Draft Lottery, and the consensus around the league is that they will use it to select Williamson. There were initial reports that the 18-year old forward didn't like the idea of playing for New Orleans, but based on Charania's report, there's no truth to those.
Williamson will play a key role in helping the Pelicans' rebuild, especially since All-Star forward Anthony Davis is unlikely to stay with the franchise.
Article Continues BelowThe Pelicans have not officially announced that they will select Williamson, especially since they will also invite other top prospects like Ja Morant and RJ Barrett for workouts, but based on all the hype surrounding Zion, not drafting him could be a fatal mistake for a franchise that's about to lose its superstar.
Zion has already helped the Pelicans' ticket sales rise, as some of the team's games for next season have already been sold out. At this point, this June's draft looks like nothing but a formality.
Williamson's perspective of the Pelicans and their plans is crucial, and it's a good thing that the team has made a good impression. If nothing changes over the next couple of weeks, expect Zion to lead the team next season.