Less than one day after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Zion Williamson could consider returning to Duke rather than play for New Orleans, Williamson’s stepdad had a more reassuring message for Pelicans fans.

“We’re excited [about coming to New Orleans],” Lee Anderson told 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge on Thursday. “We’re excited about that.”

Anderson added that Williamson has not considered returning to Duke as a legitimate option.

“And you said about returning to Duke,” Anderson told the station. “There has been a lot of speculation, but that is nothing that we have even considered.”

It’s not hard to see why Williamson wouldn’t consider Duke an option, no matter his landing spot. Last season’s No. 1 overall pick, DeAndre Ayton, signed a contract that paid him over $8 million as a rookie.

Anderson also said he has already had multiple conversations with Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry and GM David Griffin.

“We had a great conversation and we’re excited about the prospects of coming down there and getting settled and looking for a place to stay and all of these good things,” he said.

From a market perspective, New Orleans is not the ideal landing place for Williamson — it ranks 29th among NBA cities for TV market size and the Pelicans ranked 25th in attendance last season.

However, the basketball fit could be perfect. Point guard Jrue Holiday is one of the most underrated players in the league and will form a dynamic defensive tandem with Williamson.

Plus, New Orleans is expected to receive a haul of young players and draft picks in an Anthony Davis trade this summer. With capable and proven decision-makers in Gentry and Griffin — and with Williamson fully on board — the Pelicans’ future looks bright.

The Pelicans will have the chance to formally select Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday, June 20.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas dropped the Pelicans’ 2020 NBA championship odds from 300/1 to 25/1 once New Orleans won the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s draft lottery.