Young star Zion Williamson has said nothing but positive things about his tenure with the Pelicans. Still, according to a new report out of New Orleans, Zion’s heart is with the Knicks and he still resents his representation for not helping him get there.
“Even before the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery sealed Williamson’s fate as the Pelicans’ No. 1 overall pick, he had long made it clear to the agency that he wanted to play in New York. After beginning his career in New Orleans, Williamson expected more from his representation regarding pursuing a trade to New York. This was one of the two driving factors that resulted in the split,” wrote Kris Pursainen.
Williamson, 24, recently parted ways with Creative Arts Agency after years of being his top representation. The former Duke star had worked with CAA since being drafted first overall in 2019 but things have not been so great for him over the past few years and he decided it was best to sever ties with the agency once and for all.
The 2x All-Star is one of the best young wings in the game, with career averages of 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 58.7% shooting. This season, through 6 games, Zion is averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 45.2% shooting.
So, while the natural talent and skillset are there, Williamson’s extensive injury history has made it hard for him to stay consistent on the floor and it’s had a similar impact on the Pelicans, who have failed to gain any kind of traction in the West standings.
To make matters even worse, Williamson never wanted to be a Pelican in the first place. Leading up to the draft, Zion was hoping to become a Knick, and he instead had to watch as his Duke teammate, RJ Barret, got picked by the Knicks with the third overall pick.
New York City is perhaps the biggest sports market in North America, and a star like Williamson would have gotten maximum media exposure while donning a Knicks uniform. If they continued to add other players like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and others, the Knicks might have been competing for a top spot in the East.
Unfortunately for both Zion and the Knicks, a trade never panned out and he stayed with the Pelicans, where he remains today. He’s still young enough to change his career trajectory but Zion may very well have to leave the Pels before he achieves any lasting playoff success.
With a new sports agency, Zion’s quest to join the Knicks may get another spark of life but only Knicks President Leon Rose knows how much he’d be willing to give up in a trade for the injury-prone Zion Williamson. With a potential championship core already in place, it’s unlikely that the Knicks would risk breaking up the team right now to take a risk on Zion.
But if Williamson ever gets the opportunity, he’ll be happy to join the Knicks and it might just unlock a whole new level to his game. Until then, he’ll just have to work hard to increase his value and prove that he still has the superstar potential everyone thought he did before the draft.
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