NEW YORK — The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Duke star Zion Williamson with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Williamson was expected to be taken with the first pick.

In his lone season at Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. </s> New Orleans Pelicans select Duke forward Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — New Orleans Pelicans select Duke forward Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in NBA draft. </s> Zion Williamson is selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. </s> Zion Williamson taken first by New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 NBA Draft

Zion Williamson taken first by New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 NBA Draft

Zion Williamson was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft

It's official! Zion Williamson is the No 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

"I dreamed about this since I was four," Williamson said on Thursday as he was picked by the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans selected the Duke power forward with the top selection, finalising a decision considered a foregone conclusion since the draft lottery last month.

The 6ft 7in, 285lbs Williamson wore a cream-coloured suit jacket and sat with family members as he heard his name called at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

"I don't know what to say," Williamson said, breaking down into tears in an interview with ESPN immediately following the pick. "I didn't think I'd be in this position. My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn't be here without her.

"She put her dreams aside for mine. She always looked out for the family first before herself."

Williamson, the college basketball player of the year, dominated in his only season at the collegiate level. He averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while making 33 starts. He added 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game with an elite combination of size and athleticism.

The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native immediately will become the face of the Pelicans' franchise. New Orleans went 33-49 last season and recently agreed to a blockbuster deal to send center Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package of players and picks.

"I'm going to do anything to win. I'm just going to do anything to win," Williamson said.

The Memphis Grizzlies also quickly addressed a positional need by taking Murray State's Ja Morant with the No 2 pick. The Grizzlies agreed to trade Mike Conley, their longtime point guard, to Utah a day earlier.

They got a good replacement in Morant, who led Division I with 10 assists per game as a sophomore while averaging 24.5 points.

"I have some big shoes to fill in Mike Conley," Morant said. "He's a great player. I wish him the best. Like I said before, it just means the Grizzlies see a lot in me."

RJ Barrett then made it two Duke freshmen within the top-three picks when the New York Knicks took the guard who actually edged out Williamson to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring.

Knicks fans hoped they would get Williamson after finishing with the worst record in the league but seemed happy to end up with Barrett, loudly cheering and chanting "RJ! RJ!" when the pick was announced.

"That was great," Barrett said. "I'm glad that the city wants me here as much as I want to be here."

De'Andre Hunter of national champions Virginia was taken fourth but will not be teaming up with Williamson. The Pelicans acquired the rights to the pick in the Davis deal but agreed to trade it shortly before the draft to Atlanta. The original trade cannot be official until July 6, so Hunter was outfitted with a Lakers hit and the draft board behind the stage listed the pick as belonging to the Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers then took Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland, who played in just five games because of a knee injury.

Then it was another pick who will not be playing for the team that made it, with Jarrett Culver taken at No 6 by Phoenix with a pick that the Suns agreed to trade to Minnesota for the No 11 pick.

That turned out to be Cameron Johnson, the second North Carolina player to be drafted after Chicago took Coby White at No 7.

Kentucky then had two straight picks, with PJ Washington going 12th to Charlotte and Tyler Herro 13th to Miami.

Duke did even better by placing three in the top 10. Cam Reddish went 10th to the Hawks, making the Blue Devils the only team to pull off that feat since Florida placed Al Horford third, Corey Brewer seventh and Joakim Noah ninth after winning the 2007 national championship.

The trades caused some confusion in Barclays Center beyond just players wearing hats of teams whose uniforms they won't wear. A brief "Brooklyn! Brooklyn!" chant broke out when the Nets were on the clock at No 17, but the Nets had already agreed to deal that pick to Atlanta in yet another trade that won't become official until July 6.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Brandon Clarke and Mfiondu Kabengele followed Barrett into the NBA, giving Canada its best showing with four first-round picks. The overall record for draft picks from outside the US was set when France had five players selected in 2016. </s> The New Orleans Pelicans take Duke forward Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft and Zion is overcome with emotions afterward. (3:03)

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, a generational talent because of his combination of size, strength, speed and skill, was the dominant force in college basketball last season. As a freshman, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks, all while shooting 68% from the field as he wowed with one spectacular highlight play after another en route to being named the Wooden Award winner as the nation's top player.

First and foremost There have been 53 No.1 draft picks in the common draft era, and only 10 have won an NBA championship with the team that drafted them. Zion Williamson will look to become the 11th: Player Team Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bucks Tim Duncan Spurs Kyrie Irving Cavaliers LeBron James Cavaliers Magic Johnson Lakers Hakeem Olajuwon Rockets David Robinson Spurs Cazzie Russell Knicks Bill Walton Trail Blazers James Worthy Lakers -- ESPN Stats & Information

"I don't think it's feelings I can really describe," Williamson said. "You know, as a little kid you say you want to go to the NBA. People basically say, you've got to have a Plan B because the chances of doing it is just little to none. For me to be selected No. 1, I mean, I can't dream it no better than that."

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. Williamson said he was excited about the challenge of turning things around in the Big Easy, and of partnering with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, two of the players who will come in the Davis trade.

"What excites me the most is the fact that they're young and they're close to my age so they can help me a lot more, like how to deal with this transition," Williamson said. "I think we can build something over there."

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.

Morant, an explosive athlete with a solid 3-point shooting stroke, led the Racers to the second round of the NCAA tournament, averaging 24.5 points and 10.0 assists while going from a mid-first-round pick before the season began to the clear No. 2 prospect entering draft night, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz.

State of Murray's game: Very good Murray State's Ja Morant was the first college player to average 20 points and 10 assists in a season. The sophomore guard had 14 games with 20 points and 10 assists in 2018-19. No other player had more than three such games: Player Times School Ja Morant 14 Murray St. Cassius Winston 3 Michigan St. Josh Sharkey 3 Samford Colbey Ross 3 Pepperdine -- Assists became official stat in 1983-84 -- ESPN Stats & Information

Morant steps in to a Grizzlies team that on Tuesday agreed to trade point guard stalwart Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz for forwards Jae Crowder and Kyle Korver, the No. 23 pick Thursday night and a protected future first-round pick. Memphis later used that No. 23 pick to trade up to No. 21 and select Gonzaga's Brandon Clarke.

"It's been crazy," Morant said. "Obviously a wild moment for me, coming from my story, what I've been through to get to this point. I'm just very excited to be able to accomplish my dream."

Barrett, meanwhile, had been hoping to join the Knicks all along. Barrett's mother, who is from Brooklyn, met his father, Rowan, while she was a track star and he was a basketball star at St. John's in Queens.

"It would mean a lot," Barrett, who was born in Canada, said Wednesday of getting the chance to play for the Knicks. "My late grandfather, rest in peace, he was the biggest Knicks fan. He'd always tell me I'd play for the Knicks. It would mean a lot to me."

When he got his wish, the crowd at Barclays Center exploded in cheers, and Barrett -- resplendent in a pink suit and black shirt -- walked onto the stage as the crowd chanted his name. Barrett cried into his father's shoulder after his selection.

"That was crazy. That was one of the reasons why I was crying, because [my grandfather and I] used to watch the Knicks growing up and he would always tell me I was going to be a Knick," Barrett said. "I'm sad he can't be here to see it. But I'm just very happy, man."

The presumptive No. 1 pick entering the college basketball season, Barrett's star was surpassed by the comet that is Williamson. Still, the 6-foot-7 forward was seen as a part of the three-player tier considered a cut above the rest of the draft prospects after averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists at Duke last season.

Now he'll get a chance to prove he's up to the challenge he wanted to take on: reviving the Knicks, who had the league's worst record in 2018-19.

The real excitement at the draft began with the No. 4 pick, which still technically belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers but has been traded twice in the past week. First, it was sent to the Pelicans on Saturday as part of the Lakers' package for Davis. Then, a couple of hours before the draft began, it changed hands again, going to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the Nos. 8 (Texas center Jaxson Hayes), 17 (Virginia Tech guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker) and 35 (Brazilian guard Didi) picks in this year's draft, plus a protected first-rounder from Cleveland next year.

Atlanta made that move to take Virginia forward De'Andre Hunter -- and that's precisely what the Hawks did (via the Lakers) adding the rangy forward to an intriguing young core that includes Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and John Collins.

play 0:35 Zion: Going No. 1 in the draft 'didn't feel real' Zion Williamson expresses his thoughts on being selected No. 1 overall by the Pelicans.

Hunter, who was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year last season, will shore up an Atlanta team that struggled on defense last season, posting the fourth-worst defensive efficiency in the league. No player under contract with the Hawks for next season ranked in the top 150 in ESPN's defensive plus-minus this past season.

The move marks the second year in a row that Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk has made a big move in the lottery. Last year, it was to trade down two spots to select Young, while also acquiring the No. 10 pick in this year's draft -- which turned out to be forward Cam Reddish from Duke.

"I didn't know they were going to trade up to the fourth pick," Hunter said. "I know they were trying to do something to get earlier in the draft. I mean, it was just a decision between me and my agents. Atlanta was the one place I did work out for."

With Hunter off the board, that left the Cleveland Cavaliers with the chance to take Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland with the fifth pick. Despite being in the middle of lots of trade discussions leading up to the selection, the Cavaliers wound up hanging onto it and taking Garland, an intriguing prospect who played only five games for the Commodores last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Those five games are the second fewest by a college player drafted in the top 10 since the one-and-done era began in 2006.

Points taken RJ Barrett might have been overshadowed by Zion Williamson in their one season at Duke, but he still scored the fifth-most points by a freshman in Division I history: Year Player Points 1989 Chris Jackson 965 2007 Kevin Durant 903 2018 Trae Young 876 2008 Michael Beasley 866 2019 RJ Barrett 860 -- ESPN Stats & Information

That put the Minnesota Timberwolves on the clock, after they 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, who entered the draft fresh off leading the Red Raiders to within a few bounces of winning this year's national championship.

Culver's selection cleared the way for the Chicago Bulls, picking seventh, to fill a need at point guard by taking North Carolina's Coby White, who could immediately step into the team's starting spot as a rookie next season.

From there, New Orleans took Hayes (via Atlanta) -- giving the Pelicans another athletic, young big to pair with Williamson -- before the Washington Wizards selected Japanese forward Rui Hachimura from Gonzaga ninth and the Hawks, with their second pick in the top 10, took Reddish, the third player of the night from Duke.

The only other time since 1966, the common draft era, that one school has had three players selected in the top 10 was in 2007, when Al Horford (third), Corey Brewer (seventh) and Joakim Noah (ninth) all were selected out of Florida.

Johnson's surprise selection at No. 11 gave the ACC a record with six lottery picks from a single conference. Johnson, 23, is older than his future teammate Devin Booker, who is set to enter his fifth NBA season and is still just 22.

Rounding out the lottery, the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat took back-to-back Kentucky Wildcats at Nos. 12 and 13 -- forward PJ Washington and guard Tyler Herro -- and the Boston Celtics grabbed Indiana swingman Romeo Langford at No. 14. </s> Pelicans take Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in draft

NEW YORK — The New Orleans Pelicans selected Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick Thursday night, going with the Duke force who is considered one of the most exciting prospects in years.

The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder compiled a career worth of highlights into just one season, becoming the third freshman to be voted player of the year by The Associated Press.

His assault on the rims made him a favorite of college basketball fans, but his game is more than just dunks. Williamson averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 68% from the field.

Wearing a white suit, he hugged members of his family and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after his name was called first at Barclays Center.

Williamson will step into an open position in New Orleans, which recently agreed to trade All-Star Anthony Davis, the last freshman to win the AP award, to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Memphis Grizzlies also quickly addressed a positional need by taking Murray State's Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick. The Grizzlies agreed to trade Mike Conley, their longtime point guard, to Utah a day earlier.

They got a good replacement in Morant, who led Division I with 10 assists per game as a sophomore while averaging 24.5 points.

RJ Barrett then made it two Duke freshmen within the top-three picks when the New York Knicks took the guard who actually edged out Williamson to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Knicks fans hoped they would get Williamson after finishing with the worst record in the league but seemed happy to end up with Barrett, loudly cheering and chanting "RJ! RJ!" when the pick was announced. </s> Metarie, LA (AP) – The Pelicans have officially begun the Zion Williamson era — just days after agreeing to trade away their last No. 1 overall draft choice.

Based on the celebrating crowd jammed into a downtown promenade on Thursday night, it appeared Pelicans fans couldn’t have been happier to move on from Anthony Davis — who requested a trade last January — and welcome their newest hope to transform New Orleans from a languishing small market franchise into an NBA contender.

Williamson smiled broadly and shook his head as he watched video footage of fans in New Orleans leaping and hollering in approval of his drafting by the Pelicans.

Williamson, who starred one season at Duke, was widely seen as the top pro prospect to enter any NBA draft since the Pelicans took Davis first overall in 2012. And because of an unlikely NBA draft lottery victory last month, the Pelicans had the right to select Williamson first overall.

David Griffin, the Pelicans new executive vice president of basketball operations, said he understood why fans would be energized by Williamson.

“He’s got this magnetic personality and he makes everybody see such star quality that you immediately say, ‘He’s the one,’” Griffin said. “Obviously, physically, he’s been touched by the hand of God to play this game. He’s a population of one. Nobody’s ever been exactly quite like him.”

Griffin, who was a team headquarters, paused to compose himself while describing his reaction to seeing video of Williamson in New York, crying just after being drafted, when in a TV interview the 6-foot-7, 285-pound 19-year-old credited his mother’s sacrifices for his success as an athlete.

“When you see that kid on that stage — who lives for that stage — be incapable of formulating thoughts other than how grateful he is, that impacts you in a really powerful way,” Griffin said. “That’s why we love him.”

But Griffin also sought to temper immediate expectations, asserting that Williamson “is not somebody who is supposed to be the savior of this franchise. This is a 19-year-old kid who is going to spend this year learning how to play winning basketball.”

“This is Jrue Holiday’s team,” Griffin added, referring to the Pelicans’ accomplished combo guard. “Zion is going to be part of learning how to win at a really high level, and at some point if there’s a time that the baton gets passed in terms of who’s expected to carry us to win games, it will. That’s not now.”

New Orleans added to its rookie class with Texas center Jaxson Hayes. The Pelicans had made a deal with Atlanta for the rights to the eighth overall pick right before the draft. The Hawks made the selection, though Hayes is heading to New Orleans. That same trade also landed Virginia Tech wing player Nickeil Alexander-Walker at No. 17, a pick technically made by Brooklyn for the Pelicans.

Williamson was just the second freshman to be a consensus national player of the year, along with Kevin Durant with Texas in 2007.

While Williamson has yet to exhibit consistent outside shooting, he has displayed a dominant mix of power, quickness and skill that has convinced scouts of his extraordinary promise as a pro.

He averaged 22.6 points per game at Duke and also was voted to the ACC’s All-Defensive Team after averaging 8.9 rebounds, 2.12 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per game.

The Pelicans moved on from the Davis era last weekend when they agreed to a trade sending “the Unibrow” to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Josh Hart and three first round picks, including this year’s fourth overall choice.

However, a person familiar with situation said shortly before the draft that Atlanta acquired the No. 4 pick from the Pelicans in exchange for the No. 8, No. 17 and No. 35 overall picks, along with a protected first-round pick from Cleveland in 2020 that Atlanta had.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal — like the Davis deal days before it — can’t be finalized until at least until July 6 when the new NBA league year begins.

So Atlanta drafted Hayes for New Orleans and the Nets took Alexander-Walker for the Pelicans via the Hawks.

The 6-11, 220-pound Hayes played one season at Texas, averaging 10 points, five rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

Alexander-Walker played two seasons for the Hokies and averaged 16.2 points per game last season.

New Orleans also sent Atlanta the No. 57 pick, a future second-round pick and forward Solomon Hill. The Pelicans created more salary cap space by unloading the nearly $12.8 million owed to Hill next season. New Orleans also saved about $2.2 million by moving their second first-round pick down from fourth to eighth.

The second-round pick New Orleans got from Atlanta yielded Brazilian Macros Louzada Silva at 35th overall. The Pelicans traded their own 39th pick to Golden State for 2021 and 2023 second rounders, as well as cash considerations. </s> Williamson was overcome with emotion after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finally announced he had been selected by the New Orleans Pelicans.

With tears in his eyes, he told draft broadcaster ESPN, "I don't know what to say. I didn't think I'd be in this position. My mom sacrificed a lot for me. I wouldn't be here without my mom."

Williamson choked up as he talked about his mother.

"She put her dreams aside for mine," he said.

When asked what he would say to his new team and city, Williamson said, "Let's dance. Let's dance." In his lone season at Duke, Williamson was the biggest draw men's college basketball had seen in years. Listed at 6 feet, 7 inches tall and 285 pounds, Williamson was a hoops highlight reel -- not just with his explosive dunks but with his all-around game. And also when he blew apart one of his shoes during a game against North Carolina. Williamson led Duke to the Elite Eight at the NCAA tournament, averaging 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. The Pelicans had only a 6% chance to land the top pick after a 33-49 season but beat the odds. The Memphis Grizzlies took Murray State point guard Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick. "It means a lot," Morant said. "Obviously it means that Memphis sees a lot in me. I'm grateful and thankful to them for drafting me. I'm very excited to play in Memphis." Duke freshman R.J. Barrett was picked third by the New York Knicks and his collegiate team Cam Reddish was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 10th pick, making the Blue Devils the second program to have three players taken in the top 10 of the same draft (Florida, 2007). Full coverage of the NBA draft is on Bleacher Report </s> Pelicans take Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

NEW YORK (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans selected Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick Thursday night, going with the Duke force who is considered one of the most exciting prospects in years.

The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder compiled a career worth of highlights into just one season, becoming the third freshman to be voted player of the year by The Associated Press.

His assault on the rims made him a favorite of college basketball fans, but his game is more than just dunks. Williamson averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 68% from the field.

Wearing a white suit, he hugged members of his family and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after his name was called first at Barclays Center.

Williamson will step into an open position in New Orleans, which recently agreed to trade All-Star Anthony Davis, the last freshman to win the AP award, to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Memphis Grizzlies also quickly addressed a positional need by taking Murray State's Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick. The Grizzlies agreed to trade Mike Conley, their longtime point guard, to Utah a day earlier.

They got a good replacement in Morant, who led Division I with 10 assists per game as a sophomore while averaging 24.5 points.

RJ Barrett then made it two Duke freshmen within the top-three picks when the New York Knicks took the guard who actually edged out Williamson to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Knicks fans hoped they would get Williamson after finishing with the worst record in the league but seemed happy to end up with Barrett, loudly cheering and chanting "RJ! RJ!" when the pick was announced.

Williamson and Barrett both were in tears — Barrett had said he wouldn't be and Williamson said he didn't know how he'd react.

De'Andre Hunter of national champion Virginia was taken fourth but won't be teaming up with Williamson. The Pelicans acquired the rights to the pick in the Davis deal but agreed to trade it shortly before the draft to Atlanta. The original trade can't be official until July 6, so Hunter was outfitted with a Lakers hit and the draft board behind the stage listed the pick as belonging to the Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers then took Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland, who played in just five games because of a knee injury.
Zion Williamson of Duke University is selected first by the New Orleans Pelicans.