The New York Knicks finished a 2022-23 NBA season with a bittersweet taste after making it to the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the First Round but then losing to the Miami Heat in the Semifinals.
Even so, the Knicks have a bright future, and things could get more interesting if they manage to land Zion Williamson. Moreover, ESPN’s analyst and Knicks superfan Stephen A. Smith believes that they should pair Williamson with Tyronn Lue, the Los Angeles Clippers’ current head coach.
“If by some happenstance Zion could be in New York,” Smith said on ‘First Take’ “I believe this should be Tom Thibodeau’s last year in New York. I’m not saying he’s not a great coach, I’m not saying he can’t coach, I’m not saying he did anything wrong.”
“It’s not about Tom Thibodeau,” Smith said. “I think Ty Lue is one of the great coaches in the NBA. Top two coach in the NBA right now.”
“I believe this should be Tom Thibodeau’s last year in New York. … [Ty Lue] is somebody they should pursue.”
— @stephenasmith on who the Knicks should hire as a head coach if they acquire Zion Williamson pic.twitter.com/cImAmo20wA
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 16, 2023
Smith says that Lue would want to coach a team whose players are available, but with Zion, that statement is not that true. The forward has missed plenty of games during his career, and last season only played 29 games, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists before a new injury finished his campaign.
He also credited Lue as one of the two best coaches in the league right now, which makes him a terrific addition to the Knicks. Zion reportedly wants a trade to the Knicks, which could be the start of something great for this franchise.
The relationship with the Pelicans is non-existent right now, and the team is reportedly studying options to move him this summer. Contradicting reports suggest that the Pels are unlikely to trade Zion this offseason, but the rumors about his future keep coming.
The Pelicans Have Several Options To Trade Zion Williamson This Summer
On that now, the Charlotte Hornets have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Zion, and they could get him for the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Zion and LaMelo Ball together would be blockbusters, but it remains to be seen what path each of these teams decide to make.
Moreover, fellow Fadeaway World writer Eddie Bittar mentions three surprising teams that could land Williamson if the Pelicans decided to put him on the trade block.
This is a complex situation for everybody, but at the same time, it could work marvels for the Pels. New Orleans has a solid team that needs that one piece to reach the next level. When he was healthy, Zion perfectly filled that role, but now things could change for him and the franchise that originally drafted him.
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