Zion Williamson and three takeaways from NBA Draft lottery

The order for the 2019 NBA Draft in Brooklyn, New York on June 20 has been set.

Tuesday's lottery determined the New Orleans Pelicans will receive the number one pick, shocking nearly everyone.

Here are three takeaways from the lottery results: 

Things could be turning around for Pelicans

New Orleans had a six per cent chance to win the lottery and beat the odds to come out on top.

The Pelicans have an opportunity to draft this year's top prospect, Zion Williamson, with the first pick. Williamson averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds on 68 per cent shooting in his freshman season at Duke. He became just the third freshman in NCAA history to win the Naismith Award. The last freshman to do so was Anthony Davis, who was selected first overall by New Orleans in 2012.

Davis surprisingly requested a trade in 2018-19 and was rumoured to prefer joining the Los Angeles Lakers, who reportedly offered up a hefty package for the superstar. However, New Orleans elected to keep Davis and weigh their options this summer.

Many assumed that Davis would be traded over the offseason, but having Williamson in the fold could change things. This year's lottery has breathed new life into New Orleans' future, and it could drastically impact the landscape of the NBA.  

Knicks' hopes were crushed 

It seemed like all of New York was hoping to land the top pick. The Knicks had a 14 per cent chance of winning the lottery, and those odds were only matched by the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Instead, New York dropped to third. Williamson is simply considered to be in a tier of his own. 

The Knicks still have a chance to land a player with star potential, though, as another Blue Devil in RJ Barrett will likely be available. But he may not be enough to persuade premier free agents like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to move to the Big Apple. 

Lakers received a pleasant surprise

Los Angeles had lofty expectations entering this season. After all, the Lakers traded for an all-time great in LeBron James and had a plethora of young talent.

But the Lakers superstar missed 27 games in 2018-19. The team recorded a 37-45 record and missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year.

Draft night likely went better than expected, though, as Los Angeles had just a two per cent chance of winning the lottery and managed to come in at fourth. The Lakers could draft a prospect with the potential to contribute immediately at this position, which is probably more than they anticipated.