Windhorst/Stein Report Zion Williamson Could Theoretically Return To Duke

[TheSundanceKid]

Returning to school means:

1. Giving up $9.8 million in salary for one year;

2. Deferring tens of millions of dollars in endorsements;

3. Delaying his second contract by one year;

4. Risking injury.

Plus, he’d have to make the decision prior to the draft, so NOP could easily call his bluff.

Precisely this. Would be a very very stupid move. Also he either gets to play alongside AD or as a core part of what is likely to be the most exciting young NBA team in recent memory

[Celtics4ever]

Does Windhorst have any connections outside LeBron?   Nope....

[nickagneta]

He has leverage. Depends if he wants to use it, especially if he was intent on going to the Knicks.

I don’t think he does. No team will take that threat seriously.

Plus, what’s his strategy? Force a trade to the Knicks, so that they can trade him back to NOP for Davis?

so lonzo ball didn't force his way to LA by not working out for anyone? Josh Jackson didn't make ainge fly to Sacramento only to have to do back without seeing the workout?

Apples and oranges. This is the biggest prospect since LeBron

1. davis was a bigger prospect
2. Kobe forced his way to LA

Davis didn't have half the coverage or hype Zion has had. Again incomparable.

Kobe had less hype than both, as he was a somewhat unknown coming out of high school. Even more uncomparable

Not sure I agree the Davis didn't have the hype that Zion had. Davis won just about every award in college ball and his team went 38-2 and won the Tournament.

Davis didn't need massive propaganda program pushing him as the next great thing because everyone knew he would be the next great thing and a generational big man. There was no doubt he would shine in the NBA.

Davis was given tons of press and it was considered a foregone conclusion Davis would be a top 3-5 player in this league for a long time. He may not have gotten some of the hoopla Zion got, but he got a ton of press because it was foregone conclusion of just how good he would become.

[Fafnir]

Zion's camp has put it out this morning that he's not going back to Duke.

Sounds like they were taking stock of NOP and the unlikely result and the media ran with it for some crazy speculative content.

[SHAQATTACK]

hate pouring out for NO

[SHAQATTACK]

I get not liking the Pels but I would love to live in New Orleans.

yeah , i know , we love vactioning there.

[keevsnick]

He has leverage. Depends if he wants to use it, especially if he was intent on going to the Knicks.

I don’t think he does. No team will take that threat seriously.

Plus, what’s his strategy? Force a trade to the Knicks, so that they can trade him back to NOP for Davis?

so lonzo ball didn't force his way to LA by not working out for anyone? Josh Jackson didn't make ainge fly to Sacramento only to have to do back without seeing the workout?

Apples and oranges. This is the biggest prospect since LeBron

1. davis was a bigger prospect
2. Kobe forced his way to LA

Davis didn't have half the coverage or hype Zion has had. Again incomparable.

Kobe had less hype than both, as he was a somewhat unknown coming out of high school. Even more uncomparable

Not sure I agree the Davis didn't have the hype that Zion had. Davis won just about every award in college ball and his team went 38-2 and won the Tournament.

Davis didn't need massive propaganda program pushing him as the next great thing because everyone knew he would be the next great thing and a generational big man. There was no doubt he would shine in the NBA.

Davis was given tons of press and it was considered a foregone conclusion Davis would be a top 3-5 player in this league for a long time. He may not have gotten some of the hoopla Zion got, but he got a ton of press because it was foregone conclusion of just how good he would become.

All that can be true and probably is, but Zion is still more hyped than Davis was. Part of it is the dunking, part of it is he has charisma and Davis doesn't, part of it is he was on duke with a bunch of other stars and so was even more heavily covered than Davis. And part is that social media and the basketball internet culture is more entrenched than even seven years ago. Doesn't mean he will be better than Davis, but he is more hyped.

[Birdman]

Be the greatest ever if he went back to Duke then Pelicans get #1 pick next season again..but he going play for Pelicans..can be the main man on that team

[RMO]

Is there anything substantive that this is what Zion is really thinking or is it just Windhorst saying "people are talking" and Cowherd saying something along the lines of that if he were Zion he would go back to college than play in New Orleans? 

This whole national media agenda about getting big names in big markets just makes me sick.

[CelticsElite]

Shams Charania
✔
@ShamsCharania
 Sources: Zion Williamson met in Chicago with the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies, the top two teams in the Draft lottery. Williamson had a positive meeting with New Orleans and prior to lottery, he cited Pelicans as a targeted team to start career.

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9:46 AM - May 16, 2019