New Orleans Pelicans Pick Zion Williams to Open NBA Draft

NEW YORK -- Welcome to the NBA, Zion Williamson.

The superstar forward out of Duke was selected No. 1 overall by the Pelicans in Thursday night's NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, confirming what had been inevitable once New Orleans won the draft lottery last month.

Williamson immediately steps in as the centerpiece for a new-look Pelicans team that agreed to trade star big man Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers last week.

Like Williamson, the second and third picks also went according to plan. Murray State point guard Ja Morant went second to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Williamson's teammate at Duke, swingman RJ Barrett, went third to the New York Knicks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had traded forward Dario Saric and the No. 11 pick (North Carolina guard Cam Johnson) to Phoenix to move up five slots to No. 6. With the pick, Minnesota (via Phoenix) took Texas Tech forward Jarrett Culver.

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