While some optimism still exists that Zion Williamson will stay with the Pelicans, not everyone is convinced he has a long-term future with the franchise.
On ‘The Dan Patrick Show,” NBA Insider Jordan Schultz made a bold statement on the young star, suggesting that he could be traded from the Pels as soon as this upcoming summer.
“Just on the big picture here, I don’t know if Zion Williamson is gonna ever play for the Pelicans again,” he said. “He’s played 85 games in his career. If you don’t trade him this summer, what are you going to get for him long term? If you don’t believe he’s going to stay healthy, what are we talking about here? I think there is a very good chance he will not be back, and they will trade him this summer — or at least strongly explore trading him.”
Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) explains why he thinks "it's a very good chance" that we won't see Zion Williamson play for the #Pelicans again.. #NBA
For Jordan's full appearance: https://t.co/LE1pLGEIzl pic.twitter.com/2N4ryRm8OJ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) March 23, 2022
Zion, who turns 22 in July, hasn’t played a game since breaking his foot during a workout last summer. After being slated to return in December, he suffered a setback that pushed back his timeline. He is not expected to play this season.
In the meantime, the Pelicans have made some pretty significant changes to their roster. During February’s deadline, they acquired CJ McCollum in a blockbuster deal with the Trail Blazers.
With Williamson, it could be enough to make the Pels a significant force in the West. The problem is, nobody knows how long he’ll remain with the team.
As doubts continue to pour in on his loyalty to the team, and value as a franchise centerpiece, there are some who hold out hope that things are better than they seem.
“It sounds different from what’s being portrayed, and he looks a lot different from what’s been portrayed. He looks to be in a lot better shape than they’ve been letting on,” said one New Orleans Pastor. “You could see that from the pictures.”
“To be honest with you, [Zion’s] exact words to me were that he loved the city. The only thing I know from him personally is that he’s excited about being back and he wants to get back into the saddle as fast as he physically can.”
For now, all fans can do is wait. Despite some sneak peeks, it will be some time before we know the status of the South Carolina native.
After witnessing such a dominant run in college, he entered the league as one of the most exciting young prospects in years. He has not yet lived up to the hype, but time is still on his side and it’s clear that not everyone has lost faith.
