NBA Lottery
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Not to be that guy, but with what Zion will be getting paid he should be happy to be playing on the moon with Bugs Bunny.
Doesn't Zion get a 2 year, $4.5M contract as top draft pick? Can't he leave after two years and get paid elsewhere? And of course there is shoe endorsement money which should be huge, no??
I didn’t know about the 2 year deal for the top pick but that doesn’t sound right. Would be a huge pay decrease if he were to leave the way the rules are stated.
He absolutely will rake in endorsements galore.
Of course he'll be fine financially. But going to that market sucks for him. As an 18 year old #1 draft pick, would you rather go live in NY/LA or NO? It's not even close. Plus, again, the market is significantly better in NY and LA. NO isn't a basketball city. Plus, he just watched a pretty comparable NBA star who plays the same position as him and is a franchise player waste years of his life in New Orleans. I totally understand his disappointment.
Bingo, it’s all relative. Anyone can say “ohh he’s making millions at 18 just shut up”. The last transcendent player was literally drafted by the same exact team and he’s been there 7 years and wants OUT.
Come back to duke and get drafted number one next year.
In the event that RJ and Zion both ended up in NO, they would still have at least 2 more years of accepted losing before they were expected to start making pushes in the playoffs. Playing with an offensively capable center like Julius Randle or Jahlil Okafor will help them both a ton as will the spacing in the NBA. Add in a couple players who can reliably shoot 3's and that team could be scary in 4 years.
I heard on the radio this morning they sold 2000 new season tickets between the lottery and 1am.
Never said he shouldn't be dissapointed if NY was where he wanted to go...just saying he isn't going to be broke anywhere he goes...make the best of it and when your rookie contract is up go where you want
I laugh a little bit inside when players want to go to a bigger market. Your purchasing power is significantly less in a city like NYC which has a much, much higher cost of living. If Zion's annual expenses amount to $6 million in New Orleans, they would be roughly $11.7 million in NYC. LeBron did okay in Cleveland. Durant and Westbrook weren't losing endorsements for playing in a small market like OKC. Zion will be making bank wherever he goes.
I live in NY. It sucks. I've been to LA and wouldn't go back if my life depended on it.
OFC
In today’s internet driven world imo it does not matter who you play for by the Nike’s and other companies on how much they pay you.Zion by playing for Duke has already made his brand relevant
It looks like last year's top pick Ayton got $6.8M per year salary +/- 20% and he's with the drafting team for 2 years. After 2 years the team can extend the contract for a 3rd and 4th year with set increases. That's the way I understand it anyway.
At first glance, based on the current landscape it stinks that Zion could be stuck in New Orleans for 4 years. However, who knows, maybe the Pelicans will rebuild.
At first glance, based on the current landscape it stinks that Zion could be stuck in New Orleans for 4 years. However, who knows, maybe the Pelicans will rebuild.
But your hypothetical requires that they can’t or won’t improve and mature. If I was a GM, I’d gladly rebuild starting with those two and surround them with some good veterans and shooters.
Yes. Technically. He won't, but could. He would need to write something down at least 10 days from the draft to remove his name.
AD to NYK for the 3rd pick and some players. Zion and RJ reunited. The city will go crazy. Let me get my season tickets. Bandwagon pelicans fan
There is a better chance that I win the lottery at the exact moment I’m surfing on the back of a shark while getting struck by lightning and eating a cauliflower pizza.
The odds of me eating a cauliflower pizza are less than the odds of everything else happening at the same time.
I really can’t understand why the Pelicans would want 3 volume shooters in Smith, Knox, and Barrett to pair with Zion.
IMO they will need an amazing offer to trade AD over the offseason and not wait to see how they like playing together.
Zion to the Pelicans is actually great for him. The knicks and lakers would’ve likely traded him to the Pelicans anyway.
Outside of that...Memphis?...Phoenix?...Cleveland?
IMO they will need an amazing offer to trade AD over the offseason and not wait to see how they like playing together.
Zion to the Pelicans is actually great for him. The knicks and lakers would’ve likely traded him to the Pelicans anyway.
Outside of that...Memphis?...Phoenix?...Cleveland?
Uh, I lived in NYC for years. If it sucks, that’s on you, not the city.
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David Griffin was hired as the VP of basketball operations just last month - he's been successful in Phoenix and Cleveland. With him leading the way in the front office, and Zion leading the way on the court, things should be much, much different. Would be pretty cool to see RJ and Zion back together as teammates.
Fingers crossed, that would be great for Zion... Although there are several levels above VP of Ops who can successfully mess things up
If that were to happen N.O. would have four Dukies on its roster if nothing changes, I pull for my Dukies. Of course anything can happen. N.O. could trade Zion's draft rights. They could get a lot for him. If they do trade Davis they will get a lot in return for him too. The wheels are turning. OFC
I'm just guessing here, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you and Zion would live very different lives in either city.
New Orleans is a really cool city. It’s just not large market....and even as an NBA fan, I realize that’s a major problem right now with the League.
Chemistry is a huge part of basketball. Look at the Warriors... little chemistry. Talent makes that inconsequential to their success. Same can be said about Duke this year, only difference is that March Madness isn’t a series of 7 games. RJ and Zion will both get better, but hoping that they finally “click” together is a gamble. You mentioned them improving and maturing, will that happen if they are placed together? I just don’t know about it.
Don’t get me wrong though... I’m not saying it won’t happen. I’m also not trying to imply that they don’t get along because they do. Just simply not sold on the fact that their individual games compliment each other’s or ever will. Just noting that it’s risky, IMO.
New Orleans to hire Trajan Langdon as the new GM? Sounds like Duke will be a pipeline for the Pelicans - kind of like UNC is for the Bobcats, except the Pelicans will actually be good.
Jackson, Williamson, and Okafor are all on the Pelicans. It would be something to add any combination of Barrett/Tatum/Ingram/Redick this off season via trades/free agency (Redick’s case)
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