Zion Williamson Not Considering Return to Duke

For everyone, including yours truly, who thought there might be a chance that Zion Williamson would return or at least threaten to return to Duke to leverage his way off the Pelicans, those talks have been shut down:

Zion Williamson’s step-father, Lee Anderson, says on the Off the Bench radio show in Baton Rouge that Zion is "excited about the prospect of getting down there and getting settled” in New Orleans & added that returning to Duke “is not something that we have even considered."
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) May 16, 2019

Well, that was fast. They couldn’t even let us wring two days out of that conversation. Television producers are going to have to scramble and pivot accordingly.

Here’s the thing though: This was not a conversation rooted in nonsense. Marc Stein broached the possibility, and he’s not someone who traffics in nonsense. Zion didn’t hire an agent or sign a shoe contract, which gave him the conceivable out if he didn’t like who won the lottery. His reported preference was to play for the Knicks.

Nonetheless, we’re officially on to Zion in New Orleans. This could be really fun if he delivers as promised and can revitalize basketball in that market. And now we wait to see what happens with Anthony Davis.