Report: Pelicans Attempted to Pair Zion Williamson, Ja Morant During 2019 NBA Draft
What could have been for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans made what was seen as the clear-cut, obvious move at the time and selected Duke star Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, but they reportedly wanted to pair him with Ja Morant.
Christian Clark of NOLA.com reported the Pelicans "offered multiple packages that included the No. 4 pick to move up two slots" in an effort to draft Morant, who was a former AAU teammate of Williamson's, as well.
Alas, the Grizzlies decided to keep the pick and draft Morant, which set them on their current trajectory as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
That No. 4 pick ended up being Virginia's De'Andre Hunter. The Los Angeles Lakers technically made the selection, but he was included in the Anthony Davis trade and eventually moved to the Atlanta Hawks in a subsequent move.
It is easy to look back at drafts with the benefit of hindsight and criticize individual picks, but Williamson was the No. 1 choice that year for a reason. The high-flier was dominant at Duke with the ability to overpower defenders on the blocks, get out in transition and control the glass as part of a skill set that surely figured to translate to the next level.
And he has been dominant in the NBA as well with career averages of 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists behind 60.4 percent shooting from the field.
However, injuries have been a problem. Williamson didn't make his debut until late January of his rookie season and played just 24 games. He was more durable in his second season at 61 games, but he is yet to take the floor in 2021-22.
Morant, on the other hand, appeared in 67 games as a rookie and 63 games in his second season. He has also been among the best players in the league this season while making a jump as a scorer and playmaker with averages of 26.4 points, 6.8 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
The result is a 40-18 record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings for the Grizzlies, while the Pelicans are a half-game back of the No. 10 seed and final spot in the play-in tournament.
The idea of Morant throwing lobs to Williamson as teammates at the NBA level is an intriguing one, but Memphis has ended up the biggest beneficiary of that draft to this point. Meanwhile, New Orleans hopes Williamson can return to the court and maintain the form he showed when he played.
