Some believe Zion Williamson could earn $1 billion during his career as a basketball player. Murray State sophomore guard Ja Morant officially declared for the 2019 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Morant is considered by many to become the second overall pick in the draft behind Duke’s Zion Williamson. It leads to the question: Does Williamson even need to hold a news conference to officially declare for the 2019 NBA Draft? The only shocking revelation would be if Williamson decided to stay at Duke for another season. The NBA deadline to declare early for the 2019 draft is April 21. There is way too much money at stake, but imagine a world where Williamson decided to play at Duke as a sophomore. The only thing crazier would be if the New York Knicks got the No. 1 overall pick and decided to pass on Williamson for another player. Knicks fans would probably riot and burn Madison Square Garden to the ground. The sneaker war to sign Williamson is already well underway between Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, Puma and a sportswear company named Anta. The sneaker endorsement deal will pay Williamson much more than his first NBA contract. ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla told Forbes that Williamson could become the fifth athlete ever to earn $1 billion, joining Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Floyd Mayweather. LeBron James is also due to join them. Future Hall of Famer turned ESPN analyst Paul Pierce tweeted the “hot take” that Williamson is already a top 50 player. You don’t say?! If Williamson has the potential and marketability to join the $1 billion club, don't you think he's already one of the 50 best players in the NBA? Saying Williamson is already a top 50 NBA player is like saying water is wet. Pierce also managed to misspell the star player's name. As a professional NBA analyst, Pierce has a duty to do better because he is molding minds. Millions of people watch ESPN and he has more than 4 million Twitter followers. Williamson would immediately be the best player on at least half of the teams in the NBA. As pointed out by Fox Sports Radio’s Collin Cowherd, Williamson is probably already a top 20 player before entering the league. Even though we don’t know which team will earn the No. 1 pick, Williamson is the foregone conclusion as the first selection. The oddsmakers agree. The NBA Draft Lottery is set for May 14, which is when we'll know which team earns the Williamson sweepstakes barring a trade. The 2019 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 20. Instead of focusing on Williamson, NBA fans should ask themselves: Where is Ja? ! Mark Bergin is a journalist with 10News WTSP. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. You can also email him at mbergin@wtsp.com. What other people are reading right now: ►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.<doc-sep>Murray State star guard Ja Morant announced during a press conference Wednesday that he is declaring for the June 20 NBA Draft. This news wasn’t a surprise because the electric guard is expected to be the second or third pick after Zion Williamson. Many scouts and draft experts have varying opinions on whether Morant or RJ Barrett will be the No. 2 pick after the Duke superstar big man. Morant, who became the first Murray State player to be named a first-team Associated Press All-American, introduced himself to the nation with a 17-point, 16-assist and 11-rebound masterpiece in the Racers’ first-round win over Marquette. It also was the ninth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history. Morant, who averaged 24.5 points per game this past season, is the first NCAA player to average 20 points and 10 assists since assists became an official statistic in the 1983-1984 season. This Morant-Barrett debate figures to be the top NBA draft storyline over the next three months, after Williamson is taken first. “If I need to fill both spots, that’s a really good problem to have,” one NBA scout said of the choice between Morant and Barrett. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t think you’re going to miss whichever one you take.” — with AP<doc-sep>
Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press As Zion Williamson continues to collect hardware for his stellar season at Duke, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft on June 20 is also facing questions about his potential future employer. After being named the Associated Press Player of the Year on Friday, Williamson made it clear he doesn't have a preference for which NBA team he plays for. "Whatever NBA team I land on, that's where I want to be," he said. "Whoever drafts me, that's where I want to be.” Williamson was specifically asked about the New York Knicks, whose 15-63 record entering Friday is the worst in the league. "If they draft me, I would love to play for them," he said. That's essentially the same answer Williamson provided the last time he was asked about the Knicks two weeks ago. "I mean, I don't know if they need much saving, but ... to the New York fans, I really appreciate the love and support," Williamson said, per Steve Serby of the New York Post. "If the Knicks did draft me, I would love to be there. Like I said, whatever team drafts me, that's where I want to be.” Video Play Button Videos you might like Even though it seems inevitable Williamson will declare for the draft, he has yet to officially do so. He still has more than two weeks before the April 21 deadline to throw his hat in the ring. Williamson is the overwhelming favorite to be the top pick if he declares. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman listed the Atlanta Hawks as the best possible landing spot for him, though they will have difficulty getting to the No. 1 spot with the NBA's fifth-worst record at 29-50. In his freshman season at Duke, Williamson averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 33 games.