The Oklahoma City Thunder are the cream of the crop this season, holding a league-best 37-8 record while potentially also employing the MVP of the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will lead this team to title contention with his incredible supporting cast, but the embarrassment of riches in terms of assets for the Thunder could see them make a major acquisition with very limited risk.Â
The New Orleans Pelicans are already written off the 2024-25 season with injuries once again dooming their season as soon as it started. Zion Williamson is back on the court now but is looking as good as he always has, even improving the Pelicans enough for them to no longer have the worst record in the NBA. A rebuild should be on the horizon for the Pelicans, and trading Zion to OKC could be step one.
Trade Details
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive:Â Zion Williamson ($36.7 million), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ($2.1 million)Â
New Orleans Pelicans Receive:Â Isaiah Joe ($12.9 million), Aaron Wiggins ($10.5 million), Kenrich Williams ($6.6 million), Nikola Topic ($4.9 million), 2028 First-Round Pick (DAL)
This is a pretty wild scenario that likely won’t even come close to materializing but presents an interesting future for both franchises. A star of Zion’s caliber and inside presence could make OKC virtually unbeatable, provided Williamson can stay healthy for a Playoff run for the first time in his career.
The Thunder Become Perennial Contenders
The secret sauce behind the OKC roster right now is that it’s a group of complementary young stars who are hungry enough to do whatever it takes to win. They might not be the most talented bunch but they’re capable of out-wroking and out-hustling every opponent they face. The things they struggle with all come with the size of their roster, especially with Chet Holmgren’s absence this season.
Zion Williamson is averaging 23.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. He would fit into the Thunder’s style provided he recommits to defense while also deferring to Shai at all times. This means the end of Zion as a No. 1 option, but he could complete a ridiculous lineup that retains Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren alongside Shai and Zion. They can score on all three levels with all of them except Chet being adept passers.
If they can keep Zion healthy, this is the recipe for perennial contention. While they let go of homegrown talents who fill out specific roles in the rotation, this top-heavy acquisition will make them much harder to beat over a Playoff series. The beauty is that they still retain most of their future draft assets, so they could use Zion’s contract for another upgrade even if success doesn’t materialize.Â
The Pelicans Rebuild Finally Begins
The Pelicans have been rumored to trade their stars and begin a rebuild all season long after their attempts at creating a contender with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have failed repeatedly. Ingram is expected to be gone either via trade or in free agency regardless, so the Pelicans need to keep an eye on the future, especially in spotting ways to improve their long-term health.
A collection of role-players from OKC under contract would be a great way to do that. Aaron Wiggins is averaging 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds this season while Isaiah Joe is putting up 9.4 points. Kenrich Williams has impressed as well, averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds, with all three being versatile and multi-positional options.Â
Nikola Topic would be the biggest acquisition here. Topic hasn’t played a minute of his rookie season due to an ACL injury. Even after returning, the minutes for Topic to develop as a young guard in OKC will be scarce. The Pelicans can entice the Thunder into throwing him into the deal and molding him to fulfill the potential star-level potential he’s said to have for years.
Even if the Pelicans can’t use many of these high-quality role players, they can further trade them to maximize the return on Zion, a player who was considered to have very little trade value due to his health. The Pelicans could feasibly continue pushing for the Playoffs with these winning rotational players alongside Dejounte Murray, but it should all be a larger process of dumping assets.Â
Is The Risk Worth The Reward?
The Thunder definitely would pause at executing this deal due to how they’ve molded role-players like Wiggins, Joe, and Williams to fit their style. They’re all under multi-year contracts which are affordable with them having upside. While they won’t ever be talents of Zion’s caliber, the sum of them as a collective can provide what OKC needs more consistently. But they need a co-star like Zion to be realistic contenders, so they have to eventually make a decision regardless.
The Pelicans would be happy to get any positive assets for Zion after his years of injury troubles. Getting three rotational players they can trade to expand the return from this trade while also landing a point guard like Topic who could develop into a star from next season onwards where he’ll be joined by a presumed Pelican’s lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
This won’t be an easy trade to stomach but would guarantee the Thunder’s issue with physically imposing opponents stops.
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