Last fall, JJ Redick described the New Orleans Pelicans as “Duke South,” due to the Southwest Division team’s roster featuring five former Duke Blue Devils players. The Pelicans also have a front-office member, GM Trajan Langdon, who played college basketball in Durham, N.C.
As a result, when the Pelicans were brought up to Tre Jones during Tuesday’s virtual NBA draft combine, the two-year Duke guard immediately began smiling. A teammate of Zion Williamson during the 2018-19 college season, Jones indicated that he’s at least spoken with each of the five Blue Devils-turned-Pelicans, a group that also includes Brandon Ingram, Frank Jackson and Jahlil Okafor.