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The situation in New Orleans is reaching critical levels with Zion Williamson given all the mystery surrounding his foot injury and speculation about his future. If the Pelicans ultimately decide there must be a trade, the Denver Nuggets should look into the possibility of acquiring the young star, even with some of the major question marks.
And there certainly are question marks. After Zion played the majority of the 2020-21 season, he has missed the entirety of this season after offseason foot surgery. Also, he was called out recently by JJ Redick, prompted by Williamson not reaching out to CJ McCollum when he was traded to the Pelicans. He has since reached out, but the Pelicans are still dealing with the storm of bad publicity when it comes to their young star.
A solution might be to trade him if he doesn't really want to be in NOLA. Here are two reasons why the Nuggets must trade for Zion Williamson this offseason.
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Nuggets Zion Williamson Trade Breakdown
Clock is ticking on the Nuggets concerning Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic has been amazing for the Nuggets in the past few years. He started a streak of All-Star appearances in 2019 and became MVP of the 2020-21 season. He could win it again this season as he only gets better and better. Jokic also extended his contract with the Nuggets in 2018 and has since shown no signs he is about to leave.
However, Jokic's contract is going to be up in the summer of 2023. While everything looks great for now, the Nuggets need to keep an eye on the future. They are a good team that has made the postseason in the last three seasons, but they have not yet made the NBA Finals.
Jokic is likely happy with the Nuggets, who have catered their franchise around him, but he must be aware that without a title, his resume will have a glaring hole. Denver has a strong core in place when healthy, but there are questions about if it is a championship core. It is hard to say when Jamal Murray has not played all season and Michael Porter Jr. is out with another back surgery, though both players are expected back this season.
Obviously, the core of Jokic, Murray, and Porter has been held back by injuries, which also might be an issue if the Nuggets traded for Williamson, infamous for getting hurt all the time. Denver already has one chronically injured young star in Porter, who has undergone multiple back surgeries in his career.
Still, as good as Porter is when healthy, Zion is even better, and getting him would not only signal to Nikola Jokic that the Nuggets are proactively improving their team, but it would also show a commitment to go all out for a championship ring. Of course, Williamson is no guarantee that the Nuggets, led by the big-man duo of Zion-Jokic, would win the title. However, if things go right, it could be the move that sways any talk of Jokic possibly even thinking about leaving Colorado when his contract is up.
Fit with team
It is almost incredible to think about all the potential that the Nuggets might have with Jokic and Williamson playing together. As a shooting big, Nikola Jokic would draw enough attention to leave a ton of space for Williamson in the middle. Both are gifted passers, which would allow them to slice up opposing defenses with passes to shooters and cutters.
Also, they could set up one another as well. Jokic is famous for making sure everyone on his team is involved. If he could get some plays together with Williamson, especially plays that highlight the athleticism that the former Duke forward has, it could be unstoppable. Both are big bodies in the paint, capable of getting very easy points for the Nuggets, and that is the key for any postseason bout. It would be incredibly tough for any defense to effectively keep both at bay. They might stop Jokic's inside presence and keep him on the perimeter, but then they would need all their attention on Williamson, opening up opportunities for Jokic to hit open shots, something he can do without any problems.
Of course, speaking about these trades hypothetically, it is tough to know what would it take for the Nuggets to snag Zion Williamson from the Pelicans. However, assuming that it is Porter or Murray who have to go the other way, that could be acceptable for Denver. If Porter goes, Murray would have two pick-and-roll partners and guys who would recognize his slashing runs in the paint. If Murray is the one to go, Porter would be a nice on-court fit to create a talented trio, though the injury problems would admittedly be a major concern and could derail everything.
All in all, the Nuggets would put themselves in contention for at least a few years down the line, save for injuries of course, make sure Jokic is satisfied, and pull in one of the potentially best offenses the league has ever seen, should they trade for Zion Williamson. If there is a chance that he is available, Denver's front office must be the first call to David Griffin and should do everything, except trading Nikola Jokic, to get the All-Star forward.
