The New Orleans Pelicans‘ hopes of being competitive in the 2024-25 NBA season died in the first month as a major injury crisis took out most of the team. One of the key sidelined names was Zion Williamson with a hamstring injury, missing most of the season yet again in a career highlighted by injury struggles.
In a bid to protect his health in a tanking season, Zion revealed that the Pelicans have decided to stop playing him in back-to-backs this season.
“Let me make this clear to everyone there. If I can play in the back-to-backs, I would. Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans. They have decided that based off the numbers, it’s not smart to do that right now. If that’s how they feel, I am rocking with them on that. But if I could play in a back-to-back, I would.”
Zion says the Pelicans decided it isn’t ‘smart’ for him to play back-to-backs
“If I can play in the back-to-backs, I would. Physically? Yes, I can. But I work for the Pelicans."
(via @PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/cefiQ1kuQN
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2025
Williamson is averaging 23.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season. When he’s healthy (he played just 13 games in 2024-25), he proves he can be one of the best frontcourt players in the NBA. Unfortunately, he just cannot find health consistently.
He came into this season in the best shape of his career but still couldn’t escape injury absences. Now that the team’s season is already ruined, he’s available to compete in meaningless games.
The franchise is 12-36 as the No. 14 seed in the West and they have absolutely no incentive to win any more games this season as they could land a franchise cornerstone atop the 2025 NBA Draft.
Zion increases their chances of winning greatly, so sitting him out of back-to-backs not only protects him from injury but helps the franchise continue its tank.
Pelicans Expected To Make A Major Trade
With less than a week to go before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Pelicans are being widely tipped to make a major trade. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reiterated this fact earlier today, keeping a close eye on all their market movements, especially regarding Brandon Ingram.
“New Orleans is 100% going to make a trade. Is it going to be Ingram? Maybe. They’re going to go under the luxury tax, they’re $1.4 million above it. They will make a trade 100%, we just have to wait and see if it’s Ingram.”
There is no way they’ll be willing to pay the luxury tax in a year where they’re missing the Playoffs, even if it’s been by design since November. They haven’t been able to make a salary-dumping trade just yet, but Ingram has been on the market all season as an expiring contract.
It’s hard for any other team to send any real value to the Pelicans in an Ingram contract, especially with second-apron teams needing to match the salary 100%. That doesn’t allow the Pelicans to just dump his deal on them, so it’s going to be interesting to see if he gets moved in the next week.
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