Big night for the New Orleans Pelicans as the team set the mood for the next few years with the selection of generational talent Duke legend Zion Williamson with the first pick in the draft. The teary eyed Williamson celebrated with this mother and little brother after the pick was made.
Just before Zion was selected, the Pels made a trade with Atlanta, sending the 4th pick in the draft, the pick the Pels acquired from the Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade, to the Hawks in return for the 8th pick, the 17th pick. The Pels also offloaded Solomon Hill’s terrible contract, opening up cap space for free agency.
With those two picks the team grabbed Texas center Jaxson Hayes and Virginia Tech shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Pels also snagged Brazillian shooting guard Marcos Silva in the second round.
Not a great night for LSU basketball in the draft though. Tremont Waters did manage to get picked up by the Celtics in the second round with the 51st overall selection, but former five-star recruit, two-year Tiger Naz Reid fell out of the draft completely after being thought of as a lottery selection in the pre-season. Reid underwhelmed at the athletic testing portion of the combine, and reportedly scared away teams with his inconsistent effort levels throughout the season.
Reid eventually found a potential pathway into the NBA when the Minnesota Timberwolves negotiated a two year “two-way” contract that will see the former Tiger likely spend most of the first year or two of his career playing in the G-League with the Wolves evaluate his progress.
Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan congratulated 1st overall pick Zion Williamson before the draft, telling him to just embrace the community, and if you buy all the way in, the community will too.