Staring down the hole of another lost season, the New Orleans Pelicans could be looking to make changes at the trade deadline. More specifically, they could be looking to shop either one of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram or CJ McCollum.

With the deadline fast approaching, the Pelicans' star trio is reportedly being “shopped,” Jovan Buha of The Athletic said during the Q&A portion of his Dec. 21 ‘Lakers-Kings Postgame Reaction' video on YouTube. The Los Angeles Lakers reporter also noted that New Orleans is content with keeping Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones on its roster, making their asking price higher than that of their star teammates.

“Based on the intel, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones are at a certain level for them that they want to keep,” Buha said. “It seems like Zion [Williamson], Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum are the three guys they've been shopping more in terms of their core starters. Dejounte Murray has not.”

With a 5-25 record through their first 30 games, the Pelicans are on track to end the year with a losing record for the first time since 2021-2022. If that ends up being the case, they will suffer a fourth losing season in the six years since drafting Williamson first overall in 2019.

Both Ingram and McCollum have been two of the Pelicans' best players on the year, averaging over 20 points per game apiece. Regardless, as two veterans on a struggling team, trade rumors will continue to surround them. Ingram is also in the final year of his expiring contract, while McCollum is signed through the 2025-2026 season.

Pelicans' issue with Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) looks on from the bench against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at Kia Center.
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Williamson's issue has never been his talent. In each of his five seasons in the league, he has averaged over 22 points and five rebounds per game. However, the main asterisk in his career has always been his health. Repeated rumors of a lack of motivation have also seemingly limited his ceiling.

Since joining the team, Williamson has only played over 60 games in a season twice. Overall, he has taken the court for just 190 of a possible 440 total games, a mere 43 percent. Despite his continuous unavailability, Williamson continues to be the face of the franchise.

Williamson's health issues were magnified during the 2021-2022 season when he missed all 82 games with a foot fracture. He acquired the injury in the offseason and was initially given a tentative two-month recovery timeline that repeatedly got extended until he was officially ruled out for the year.

After just six games in 2024-2025, Williamson is in danger of a similar fate. The star forward is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain that has seemingly no end date in sight, leaving the struggling Pelicans to flounder without him. New Orleans has gone just 2-19 since the team confirmed his extended absence.