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Despite another injury-marred season and a franchise-worst record since his arrival, Zion Williamson remains central to the New Orleans Pelicans’ long-term plans.
During the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, Spotrac’s Keith Smith spoke with coaches and executives from across the league. A Pelicans front office executive made it clear that Williamson, now entering his sixth NBA season, remains the cornerstone of their rebuild.
“Zion is still our guy,” the executive said. “If he wasn’t, we could have waived him for like nothing on the books. We could have reset everything. But we believe in Zion. He wants to make it work, and so do we. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.”
Williamson, 25, averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 56.7% shooting across just 30 appearances last season. While productive when healthy, his continued availability remains a concern. The Pelicans ended the 2024–25 campaign with a 21–61 record — their second-worst finish in franchise history — amid a rash of injuries across the roster.
The offseason has seen a significant reshaping of the team’s structure under new head of basketball operations Joe Dumars. Among the most notable moves was a trade that sent CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which the Pelicans used to select Texas Tech wing Micah Peavy. The team also signed veteran center Kevon Looney to a two-year, $16 million deal to bolster its frontcourt depth.
Pelicans double down on Zion Williamson as centerpiece amid draft additions and roster overhaul
In the first round of the draft, New Orleans selected guard Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick and later traded up with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire Maryland big man Derik Queen at No. 13. The front office expressed strong confidence in the selections.
“We loved Jeremiah where we were drafting. We didn’t have a long-term player at point guard. We feel like Jeremiah is going to be that guy for us for years and years,” a team executive told Smith.
“As far as Derik goes, he was right there with Jeremiah for us. When we had the chance to trade for Derik, it wasn’t something we hesitated on for a second. We now have a floor leader and a versatile big man. That’s huge for our future.”
In addition to adding young talent, the Pelicans addressed depth by signing veteran big man Kevon Looney and acquiring Poole, who the front office views as a durable and proven scorer. While Bey missed the previous season due to injury, he’s expected to provide needed reinforcement on the wing.
New Orleans also recently extended All-Defensive First Team forward Herb Jones on a three-year, $68 million deal, further solidifying its core.
Despite past frustrations, the Pelicans are signaling belief in their current foundation — with Williamson still at the center of it. As the franchise pivots toward a new era under Dumars, internal faith in the former No. 1 overall pick remains unwavering.
