NBA 2019 NBA Draft

[Neutrinos]

I've never understood why people don't think players should be allowed to choose where they play - free agent or not.

Almost all of us apply for jobs if we aren't owning our own business, and we often times get to pick from the job we like most, whether we're 18 years old or 80 years old.

Just because this is professional basketball and, on a larger scale, professional sports doesn't mean that players shouldn't have a say.

Most of these guys are just happy to make the NBA finally, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to play in New Orleans. It's well within his right.

A professional sports league is a private enterprise. If you want to play in their organization, you have to abide by their rules

 

[These Are The Days]

If Zion actually took his ball and went back to Duke it would be one of the biggest dick moves a potential draftee has ever made in any sport. I cannot imagine that NOLA is such a horrible place to live and the Pelicans SO bad that it requires such a feat to be pulled. As a Bucs fan I at least understand Bo Jackson refusing to play here because then owner Hugh Culverhouse intentionally sabotaged his potential baseball career by chartering a private flight and lying to him that it would not mean any sort of punishment by MLB. Yup.... It did. And Bo refused to play.

 

[kanuck87]

Well I don't see why NCAA hockey players can do so and basketball players cant.

Because they each have their own set of rules of eligibility.

 

[Newsworthy]

lakers are in a prime spot to trade for AD if NO is willing to deal him

knicks have nothing to offer with the #3 pick

Knicks who can land Morant or Barrett are in worst shape than LA?

 

[dahrougem2]

You pick and choose your first job after graduating? You take what you get and then you work your way from there.

You literally just said that you get to pick, just in different words.

A professional sports league is a private enterprise. If you want to play in their organization, you have to abide by their rules

Exactly, so he has every right to not want to play in New Orleans if he chooses.

 

[Newsworthy]

who do the knicks have to offer with the #3 pick? mudiay?

lols

Who the Lakers have, Alonzo Ball?
Ingram?

 

[Terry Yake]

Who the Lakers have, Alonzo Ball?
Ingram?

someone doesn't watch basketball

 

[darko]

Who the Lakers have, Alonzo Ball?
Ingram?

Kuzma.

 

[Newsworthy]

lakers offer beats that easily

Last year the Lakers offered basically the entire team and it was rejected by NO.
This is being considered a three player draft and reuniting Zion with Barrett would be ideal for many reasons.

 

[Terry Yake]

Last year the Lakers offered basically the entire team and it was rejected by NO.
This is being considered a three player draft and reuniting Zion with Barrett would be ideal for many reasons.

it was rejected out of pettiness because of the outcome of the NFC title game

their bball people were ready to pull the trigger

 

[Newsworthy]

someone doesn't watch basketball

Excuse me?
We've already been down this road once before.
Lakers offered basically their entire team in a trade for AD last year and it was turned down.
I might not keep up on the Lakers roster and affairs but I'm not clueless about the Knicks roster and assets.
The Knicks also have two max contracts available.
Lonzo Ball, Ingram, Kuzma along with other spare parts obviously doesn't move the needle.

 

[Newsworthy]

Kuzma.

Huge drop off between pick three and four in this draft and RJ Barrett will be better than Kuzma.

 

[Newsworthy]

If Zion actually took his ball and went back to Duke it would be one of the biggest dick moves a potential draftee has ever made in any sport. I cannot imagine that NOLA is such a horrible place to live and the Pelicans SO bad that it requires such a feat to be pulled. As a Bucs fan I at least understand Bo Jackson refusing to play here because then owner Hugh Culverhouse intentionally sabotaged his potential baseball career by chartering a private flight and lying to him that it would not mean any sort of punishment by MLB. Yup.... It did. And Bo refused to play.

Peyton Manning went back to Tennessee for his senior season and avoided playing for the Jets. He did not declare for the draft and I don't believe his decision was Jets related either. But as a fan I always wondered but could have been.
It would be quite amusing if Zion went back to Duke. I certainly don't see that happening.
But John Elway, Eli Manning, and Lindros have already set precedent on avoiding playing for a particular franchise. And Elway and Lindros were just as if not more highly regarded as players.
Would it be any different if Zion WIlliamson pulled an Elway?

 

[Melrose Munch]

He doesn't but he will. Good on him.

If he chooses to go back he should be suspended. You shouldn't be able to pick and choose where to play.

Why not?

 

[John Price]

Yeah I saw in a sports email I get daily that Zion might go back to Duke as he hasn't signed with an agent yet. I don't think he'd do that though. Too much money involved. Going back to school and possibly getting injured and losing out on cash is not worth it. You're projected to go #1, who cares if it's New Orleans.

 

[Aladyyn]

There is no reason any young player should want to play for the Knicks or Lakers over the Pelicans. None.

 

[Aladyyn]

 

[John Price]

The t hing is that spurning NO would be such a clown move. NO is not that bad. Zion saying "I don't want to go there" and going back to school and putting his future in jeopardy would be a pretty selfish decision. "I want to play where I WANT TO PLAY and I DON'T WANT TO PLAY THERE." He would definitely lose some points in my book.

If you go back to school, your shoe blows out again, you get hurt, then what? What if your stock drops? You could be the #1 pick in the draft. The money. The endorsements. Now. Don't worry about NO. Just play your game and dunk all over.

It's not like NO is an awful place anyway.

 

[John Price]

Also remember with one-and-done these athletes are there in college for one year and one year only. There is no reason for Zion to go back to school. Their whole incentive was to go to the NBA and play the sport they love. Why would he withdraw from consideration and go back to school just so someone else can draft him in 2020? How do you know it's not the Pelicans or Grizzlies or another bad team again?

Bad teams are supposed to get good players. That's how the draft works. He's going to go to another bad team next year too if he declares, and stays healthy. That's just something you have to deal with.

 

[These Are The Days]

Peyton Manning went back to Tennessee for his senior season and avoided playing for the Jets. He did not declare for the draft and I don't believe his decision was Jets related either. But as a fan I always wondered but could have been.
It would be quite amusing if Zion went back to Duke. I certainly don't see that happening.
But John Elway, Eli Manning, and Lindros have already set precedent on avoiding playing for a particular franchise. And Elway and Lindros were just as if not more highly regarded as players.
Would it be any different if Zion WIlliamson pulled an Elway?

It would not be any different but it would be far more devastating to the Pelicans than the Colts and Nordiques
when youc consider the impact that one player has in basketball. Zion not signing is like having an entire draft class saying "f*** it we aren't playing" for a different sport and they were all good picks

 

[Neutrinos]

Exactly, so he has every right to not want to play in New Orleans if he chooses.

He has every right to not want to play in New Orleans. He can sit out, try to force a trade, or go play overseas

However, based on the CBA of the league that he wants to play in, he can't choose which team he plays for

 

[kanuck87]

Yeah if I'm NO and I have to trade AD, I would trade him to the Knicks for the #3 pick and whatever else they have to offer (Knox/Smith Jr/etc). Barrett has a good chance to be better than anyone than the Lakers can offer and I don't think I would be able to pass up reuniting Barrett and Zion.

 

[Voight]

Knicks who can land Morant or Barrett are in worst shape than LA?

Yes, all they have is No. 3, Knox and the hope that they land KD and/or Kyrie. At last the Lakers have some really good young guys + LeBron, even if hes 34.

Excuse me?
We've already been down this road once before.
Lakers offered basically their entire team in a trade for AD last year and it was turned down.
I might not keep up on the Lakers roster and affairs but I'm not clueless about the Knicks roster and assets.
The Knicks also have two max contracts available.
Lonzo Ball, Ingram, Kuzma along with other spare parts obviously doesn't move the needle.

Demps said yes. Gayle Benson/Loomis were pissed that they lost to LA because of a bad call and declined it. It was a good basketball trade, better than what NO ended up getting for CP3.

 

[John Price]

Why not?

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Remember after the shoe exploded, so many people are up in arms saying Zion should never play for Duke again. I wonder how many of those same people are the ones advocating for him to go back to Duke. It's so dumb. He's a basketball player, play basketball. If in 4 years it's that bad in NO, don't sign the extension and get out.