Read and React: What now for the Pelicans?

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TRENDING: Who needs KD when you got Steph? …… Family alleges destruction of evidence in lawsuit against Tiger Woods ….. Terry Bradshaw apologizes for racially insensitive remark about Ken Jeong ….. Cardinals ghosted Josh Rosen all offseason

Congratulations to the New Orleans Pelicans, who won the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft lottery and now have a piece they can swing to trade for Anthony Davis … oh, wait.

The Pelicans won the most anticipated draft lottery since a kid from Ohio by the name of LeBron jumped from high school to the pros. In so doing, they won the right to draft Duke’s Zion Williamson, who projects as a once-in-a-generation player … and illustrated why the NBA Draft remains the best of the made-for-TV non-sport spectacles.

Exhibit 1: What the heck does New Orleans do now? Pairing Zion with Davis and turning New Orleans into a Western Conference superpower is a no-brainer, right? Not so fast. Davis has reportedly said he wants out of New Orleans even with Williamson on the way in … and Williamson reportedly had his heart set on New York.

It’s true. The NBA can find the drama in anything.

Here’s the full rundown:

1: New Orleans Pelicans

2: Memphis Grizzlies

3: New York Knicks

4: Los Angeles Lakers

5: Cleveland Cavaliers

6: Phoenix Suns

7: Chicago Bulls

8: Atlanta Hawks

9: Washington Wizards

10: Atlanta Hawks (from Dallas Mavericks)

11: Minnesota Timberwolves

12: Charlotte Hornets

13: Miami Heat

14: Boston Celtics (from Sacramento Kings)

And now the questions begin. How will New Orleans build around their new citywide hero? Will the Knicks or Lakers package their pick to pry Davis away from the Pelicans? Are the Cavaliers and Suns, both of whom expected to end up in the top 3, doomed to return to the lottery next year?

The NBA’s draft reshapes teams faster than any other sport’s, which means that a bad decision can cripple a franchise for years to come. We now know the picking order; we’ll spend the next month debating who’s going to end up where.

TEREZ PAYLOR: Terrell Owens has no regrets about skipping Hall of Fame ceremony

BEN ROHRBACH: Previewing the Raptors-Bucks Eastern Conference finals

ERIC EDHOLM: Was 2013 the worst QB draft class in NFL history?

Wait, we have a solution …

Just cover this unfortunate tattoo with a JD & The Straight Shot logo.

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