The future remains bright for Zion Williamson despite not suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2021-2022 NBA season. But Williamson has dealt with more than injuries over the past couple of seasons. The 21-year old phenom has been the subject of various rumors.
There were reports that Williamson was unhappy in New Orleans and desired a trade. This led to further reports that he wanted to play in New York with the Knicks. Of course, people also linked him to big market teams such as the Lakers. There was even reported in-house drama between Zion and the Pelicans.
But through it all, it seems as if the narrative has remained the same for Williamson. He wants to stay on the Pelicans, per ESPN.
“I do want to be here. That's no secret. I feel like I've stood on that when I spoke,” Williamson said. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”
However, this doesn't mean a potential trade is off the table. The Pelicans may decide to deal Zion Williamson if they struggle during the 2022-2023 campaign despite his desire to stay in New Orleans.
Here is a look at 2 Zion Williamson trades that can still happen.
2 Zion Williamson Trades that could still happen
Zion to OKC
The Pelicans could deal Zion Williamson to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Obviously, this seems like an odd trade given the fact that the Thunder are not exactly a contender at the moment. But pairing Zion and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander together could lead to a lethal duo.
But does OKC have the talent to entice New Orleans?
Josh Giddey would likely be a starting point for the deal. He enjoyed a strong rookie season before enduring an injury. However, the Thunder might be hesitant to deal him for injury-prone Zion Williamson.
Other options could include Darius Bazley and Ty Jerome. If the Thunder moved at least two of those players along with a couple of first round picks a deal could come to fruition.
Zion to Knicks
The rumor mill was churning out plenty of Zion Williamson to the Knicks rumors over the past year. Obviously, no trade happened. However, the Knicks still make sense as a landing destination for the Pelicans' young star.
New Orleans is in an odd spot because they could choose to re-tool rather than rebuild. This would mean that they acquire NBA-level talent to replace Williamson.
And Julius Randle dealt with struggles in New York last year. So a Randle for Williamson trade could be feasible. The Pelicans would surely want more than Randle in a deal so the Knicks could tack on a few high-level draft picks.
But Zion Williamson would be a quality fit with the Knicks alongside RJ Barrett.
Final thoughts
Zion Williamson realistically could still be traded. The Pelicans attempted to build around Anthony Davis during his time in New Orleans but the effort ultimately faltered out in the long run. So despite New Orleans's effort to build around Zion, the Pelicans could opt to deal him away and focus on rebuilding or re-tooling yet again.
Or they may choose to extend him for the long-term.
This next year will be a telling one for Zion Williamson's future in the NBA. For now, he will place his focus on getting healthy for the 2022-2023 NBA season.
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