NEW YORK – The NBA draft is all about Zion Williamson.
The draft begins Thursday night with the Duke freshman projected to go first overall to the New Orleans Pelicans. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward was the biggest star the college level has seen in years, filling highlight reels with thunderous dunks and incomparable athleticism while becoming The Associated Press national player of the year.
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Murray State point guard Ja Morant and Duke high-scoring freshman forward RJ Barrett are projected to follow Williamson in the top three picks, with the uncertainty starting with the No. 4 pick.
Other top lottery prospects include guards Jarrett Culver of Texas Tech and Cam Reddish of Duke; point guards Darius Garland of Vanderbilt and Coby White of North Carolina; and forward De’Andre Hunter from NCAA champion Virginia.
The San Antonio Spurs have two first round selections this year, picking at 19 and 29 along with pick 49 in the second round. The Spurs selected guard Lonnie Walker out of Miami with the 18th selection and forward Chimezie Metu from USC with the 46th pick last year.
At this time, it is unclear if the team intends to use both first round picks or if they will attempt to trade up for an earlier selection.