NBA News Roundup, Wednesday, May 15th: Jimmy Butler provides update on his future, Zion primed for New Orleans and more
With the NBA Finals now upon us, the playoffs are currently the talk of the basketball world, although there is no shortage of other stories emerging from around the league.
The 2019 draft is just weeks away, and teams will be hoping to strike gold by drafting either Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis continues to be linked with a blockbuster trade, and a host of stars including Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Kemba Walker are about to hit free agency.
So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here are the biggest news stories and rumors you need to know for May 15th.
Pelicans get No. 1 overall pick
Entering last nights draft lottery, the New Orleans Pelicans had just a 6% chance of being awarded the number one pick. However, luck was on the Pelicans' side, as the franchise landed their first number one pick since 2012.
After the lottery, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters.
I said earlier I don’t want to talk a whole lot of specifics about individual players, but I look at this as a situation where he is a wholly and unique talent. And we feel what we’re going to build is going to be wholly and unique as well. Hopefully all of this sort of comes to a place where we all feel like we’re meant to be together. This is about fit as much as anything else. Certainly the elite talent and the special characteristics are there, but most important to us are special human beings.
While Griffin didn't want to speak about individual players, the Pelicans are expected to use their number one pick on Zion Williamson -- the Duke teenager who has earned comparisons to LeBron James.