New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and has not met expectations.
He’s been out of shape, injured and an overall downer after entering the league following a stellar season at Duke.
Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and shot over 53% from the field last season. But he only played in 30 of 82 games and has played just 214 of 403 regular season games during his career.
The Pelicans were last in the NBA Southwest Conference, finishing 13 games behind the San Antonio Spurs. New Orleans finished a dismal 21-61 in the NBA Western Conference, 14th among 15 teams, with only Utah closing with a worse record.
At 16,185 fans per game, the Pelicans finished 25th among 30 NBA franchises. The NBA attendance average was 18,147, with the Chicago Bulls leading the way at 20,138.
Williamson is floundering, attendance is among the NBA’s lowest, and the team didn’t luck out and come up with the first pick of the draft (it had a 12.5% chance). In fact, the Pelicans somehow ended up with the seventh pick.
Dallas (mysteriously?) defied the 1.8% odds and won the first pick. The Mavericks will select Cooper Flagg out of Duke.
It looks bad for the Pelicans. Which is why now is the time for St. Louis to swoop in, purchase the team, and move it to Enterprise Center.
Richard Chaifetz, a SLU graduate and multi-billionaire who resides in Chicago, has said, “I would love to be involved” in bringing an NBA franchise to St. Louis.
BetMGM lists St. Louis as the fourth largest market without an NBA team. However, there are several cities ahead of us when it comes to expansion, primarily Las Vegas and Seattle.
The route to take is the same that brought the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis – albeit with a better deal.
David Steward, founder and chair of World Wide Technology, is listed at No. 213 on the 2025 Forbes list of the world’s billionaires. According to Forbes, Steward’s net worth is $11.4 billion.
He recently stepped back from a minority ownership share in the St. Lous Blues and, while he is tall, I have no idea if he even likes basketball.
Developer Bob Clark, who inserted himself in the St. Louis mayoral race because of his concerns for downtown and regional economic development, ranked 1,143rd on the Forbes’ list with a net worth of $2.9 billion. He could put some of his money where his mouth is in regard to helping purchase the Pelicans.
Another local, Jim McKelvey, ranked 1,764th on this year’s list with a net worth of $1.8 billion. I’m just sayin.’
In order to buy the Pelicans, the team must first be put up for sale. Who owns them?
Gayle Benson is the majority shareholder of the voting stock in the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. She inherited both after her husband, Tom Benson, died.
Does the name Georgia Frontiere come to mind?
According to CNBC, the Pelicans are valued at $3.3 billion, which is 28th of 30 NBA teams. The Boston Celtics recently sold for just under $6 billion. Do the math, St. Louis.
Let’s make Mrs. Benson an offer she can’t refuse and fly the Pelicans north up the Mississippi River to St. Louis.
The Reid Roundup
Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was hitting .349 with four home runs, 20 RBI and 53 hits after 40 games for the New York Yankees. He wasn’t washed up after all…Goldschmidt’s Yankees teammate Aaron Judge is on pace to have the greatest season in MLB history. Entering the week, Judge was batting .409 with 14 home tuns and 39 RBI…Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL’s season opener on Sept. 4 on NBC…Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the L.A. Chargers in Brazil on Sept. 5…The next day, Alvin Reid will celebrate his 65th birthday in Columbia when KU visits Missouri to rekindle the Border War in college football.
Go S.A.D. y’all lost the Rams, owner called the city racist and y’all barely got the Cardinals. Y’all lost the football Cardinals before that b