The Pelicans may have finally come to the point where they need to cut ties with their No. 1 overall pick from 2019, Zion Williamson.
Williamson’s injuries and inability to stay in shape have led the Pelicans to gauge his value in the trade market. But Adrian Wojnarowski believes the Pelicans will hold on to Zion beyond this summer.
“It’s hard to trade a player when his value is a little bit low. He played 29 games last year. Unless they get in at 2 or 3, I don’t think they get in at all. I would be surprised if they moved off him… I won’t rule anything out, you can’t in this league. But I would be really, really surprised if Zion Williamson is not on New Orleans’s opening night roster.”
“I won’t rule anything out … but I would be really, really surprised if Zion Williamson is not on New Orleans’s opening night roster.”@wojespn spoke with @ryenarussillo about the latest he’s hearing regarding Zion and the Pelicans.
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— The Ringer (@ringer) June 15, 2023
The team is reportedly looking to trade up and be in a position to draft Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller with the No. 2 or No. 3 pick. The Blazers are unlikely to trade for Zion, given his question marks and their win-now window. The Hornets, on the other hand, hold the second pick and have a chance at taking a risk at a LaMelo Ball-Zion Williamson duo.
Zion played just 29 games last season and averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Should The Pelicans Move On?
Managing Zion over the last four years has not been enjoyable for the Pelicans, who have given Zion everything he needs to succeed but still failed to get consistency from him. After his off-court controversies compounding his poor favor in New Orleans, it seems the team needs a fresh scenario to compete with the group they have right now. Zion also has a weight clause in his contract that means his money is non-guaranteed if he can’t stay below a certain threshold, making it attractive for possible future trade partners.
Trading for Henderson could help them transition from one generational prospect to the other while relying on Brandon Ingram as the No. 1 star as Henderson develops. They do have a roster that’s made the playoffs in a season where Zion didn’t play, so adding Scoot could help them find consistent playoff appearances again.
Zion reportedly wants to go to the Knicks, who don’t have an asset that the Pelicans would accept. Teams like the Houston Rockets are also in the mix.
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