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The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson marriage is being stressed once again. Sources have indicated Joe Dumars wants to try building a relationship with the All-NBA talent before making any rash decisions. However, the most powerful decision makers in New Orleans are apparently fed up with Williamson's constant off-court drama. Between injury mitigation and TMZ mentions, a mandate to shop the NBA All-Star was one of the sticking points in taking the job. Now the new front office is facing four plans of action. Three involve sending Williamson to a new city.
The negotiations between Joe Dumars and the Pelicans were expected to take until the end of the week, as reported by both ClutchPoints and ESPN's Shams Charania. It took less than 24 hours to hash through the details of luxury tax leeway and future roster outlooks, surprising the NBA world once again. Apparently, ownership is okay with keeping Williamson under certain conditions, but Dumars has some work to do first.
Everyone wants to contend by all accounts. As it was under David Griffin, avoiding the luxury tax is not a requirement, but it is a priority if the team is not in title conversations. If Dumars can show ownership a surefire championship contender on paper, Gayle Benson will be more than willing to right a 20% tip into the gratuity line for a season or two. There will be no Steve Ballmer excesses around the bayou though. The Pelicans paying even a single dollar of luxury taxes for an NBA Play-In Tournament appearance is senseless given the current CBA.
So what is the next step for the Pelicans? What contending looks like under Joe Dumars is the biggest question going into the offseason. Everything will be run by the top brass before agreeing or rebuffing an offer for the two-time NBA All-Star. If a market-rate package for Zion Williamson is found, he is out. Even a Luka Doncic-level haul might suffice, depending on how the NBA Draft lottery shakes out.
If nothing worthwhile materializes, Zion Williamson stays in shape while building up trade market value before the deadline or next summer. Forcing a new front office into a poor decision would compound the bad optics already oozing out of the situation. The fanbase has spent their time mostly panning the move on social media as it is.
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Wanting to keep Williamson and contend is understandable given how hard it is for the Pelicans to attract talent. It is also going to be difficult given Dejounte Murray's injury timeline and cap hold number. Theoretically, CJ McCollum would have to be moved to bring back depth. Could Williamson hold down the fort until Murray returns, finally giving Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado another shot at NBA Playoffs glory?
Perhaps. Call that Plan A for Dumars' Pelicans and a downright nightmare for David Griffin. Trading Williamson (ownership's Plan A) to build a tax-paying contender is a two-year plan at minimum given Murray's injury and McCollum's expiring contract. Playing the long game as a Plan B is a safe choice. Plan C is to trade Williamson for a respectable return and chase the sixth seed without paying a tax. Let the young core figure out a few more things before shaping the next Crescent City contender.
Then there is blowing everything up by trading Williamson, McCollum, and Kelly Olynk for parts. A campaign to Slack for Chris Cenac, a New Orleans native, has a nice ring to it.
With all of these moving parts and external pressures, it's hard to see Zion Williamson, Dumars, and the rest of the Pelicans organization weathering the storm of trade rumors over the next 12 months successfully. The locker room has dealt with enough stress and setup questions already. Still, it's best to build relationships and have productive conversations before going into a new direction all bullheaded.
Unfortunately, that's the narrative around the hiring so far. How the fanbase accepts the next big move will reverberate throughout the market and the league's offices. Potential bidders for ownership interest are paying attention as well.
