When the New Orleans Pelicans ended up with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the entire organization and city rejoiced because this meant Zion Williamson was coming to town. Similar to the pomp and circumstance surrounding this year's top pick in Victor Wembanyama, Zion's hype was drawing comparisons to that of LeBron James in 2003, as he was going to be the player to change the Pelicans franchise forever.
Williamson has certainly impacted his franchise over the course of the last four seasons, but not necessarily in a good way. Playing in just 114 regular-season games since entering the league, Zion has missed close to 63 percent of the Pelicans' total games due to injuries. This has led to many questions about his immediate future in New Orleans, with trade rumors surrounding the former first overall pick gaining momentum this offseason.
Ahead of June's NBA Draft, the Pelicans were said to be interested in moving up the draft board from the 14th overall pick. Scoot Henderson, who ultimately went third to the Portland Trail Blazers, was the prospect they were targeting. Zion's name came up in trade rumors as a result, thus leading us to this question: Is Zion Williamson's time with the Pelicans coming to an end?
Zion Williamson's Pelicans contract
Just one year ago around this time, the Pelicans agreed to a five-year contract worth over $193 million with Williamson, a deal that would keep him in New Orleans through the 2027-28 season with no opt-out options or non-guaranteed clauses. That deal could have gone as high as $231 million, but a failure to make All-NBA this past season because of more injury problems shut that door. There is also a weight clause in his contract to help protect the Pelicans in a worst-case scenario.
Based solely on the fact that he is beginning the first year of this five-year agreement, Zion is not going anywhere anytime soon as a potential free agent. The Pelicans signed him with the intent of the young star being the face of their franchise. Even though he has been injured through the years, they still believe he can be the difference in them going from a play-in tournament type of team to being a real contender.
The Zion Williamson trade dilemma
In terms of trade talks and rumors surrounding Williamson, anything can happen in this league. We have seen multiple stars in good situations traded away in the blink of an eye, which is why we should expect nothing less in this situation with Williamson, especially since he has been unavailable when the team has needed him most. Trading Zion isn't as easy as it sounds, though, as the weight of his contract would be a burden for any team in this league to take on.
New stipulations and financial regulations put in place via the league's new CBA agreement has teams evaluating the money they spend differently, which is why acquiring a player making an average of $40 million per season over the next five years is a very risky move. Not to mention, any team willing to trade for him assumes the risk of Williamson not being available due to his ongoing injury concerns.
As good of a player as Zion is when he is on the floor, he just cannot be counted on. Still just 23 years old, he has yet to figure out a balance between his body and health, which is absolutely a factor that could derail his career. The Pelicans made an investment, though, and now they have to gamble on either keeping him or looking to trade him for immediate value.
Right now, a scenario in which the Pelicans look to trade Williamson before the start of the 2023-24 season seems very bleak with no momentum. New Orleans has never called teams in regards to trading the star forward and all indications still point toward them wanting him as a focal point. Then again, calling teams and at least gauging interest in Zion is not a bad idea whatsoever.
The Pelicans need to find out what exactly they could get for Williamson right now in trade talks for a couple reasons. Not only does it never hurt to know the value of your team around the league, but this is going to be a make or break type of season for New Orleans. CJ McCollum is not getting any younger, Brandon Ingram is extension-eligible and the Pelicans have a decision to make regarding Jonas Valanciunas, who could be moved before the trade deadline since he is entering the final year of his contract.
Should Zion continue to miss games and deal with health concerns, New Orleans must have a backup plan for the future. Finding out which teams could be interested in Williamson right now paints a clearer picture for how things could be handled from a business perspective in New Orleans moving forward.
Knicks a potential Zion Williamson suitor?
It's worth noting that there does not seem to be a lot of known interest in Williamson league-wide. Of course, this could change and various teams could show interest if the Pelicans made him actively available in trade discussions. While this is not sourced, the one team to keep an eye on if the Pels ever want to trade Zion is the New York Knicks.
Even though they have an All-Star in Julius Randle at the power forward position, the Knicks have been rumored to be targeting various stars through the years. They have yet to pull the trigger on any deal in free agency or trade talks and have quietly been gathering future draft assets. This is not a coincidence, as Leon Rose and the Knicks' front office have a plan of who they want to go and pursue.
Williamson's personal interest in New York has been made public as well. Back ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft, there were rumors that Zion wanted the Knicks to win the lottery. When asked by the New York Post about playing for the team, Williamson responded, “If the Knicks did draft me, I would love to be there.”
This is not saying Zion is absolutely, 100 percent going to be traded to the Knicks, but if New Orleans makes him available in trade talks and New York has yet to acquire a star player, this scenario suddenly becomes more of a storyline than a headline.
Pelicans face a crucial season ahead
But enough talking about the Pelicans moving on from Williamson, especially since this is not going to happen soon. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and the entire front office have worked exceptionally hard through the years to build a young, dynamic team. While New Orleans lost in the play-in tournament this past season, we saw flashes of what this team could look like at full-strength.
When Zion was healthy and on the floor, the Pelicans were one of the better teams in the entire NBA. They even found themselves at the top of the Western Conference standings with a 23-12 record at the end of December. It is not hard to say that Williamson is one of the most impactful players in the league, as the Pels have more than enough talent to be a dark-horse contender with him.
The conversation of whether or not it is time for this organization to move on from Williamson truly depends on who you ask. Many around the league are split on what the future holds in New Orleans. While some believe now is the right time to trade Zion, there are others who believe the Pelicans are and should be in this for the long haul.
Zion is a truly unique talent who has shown how impactful he is when healthy. With the explosiveness of a guard like Russell Westbrook in his prime and the ability to punish his opponents in the paint like Shaquille O'Neal in his prime, Williamson is a complete mismatch for any team to try to deal with defensively.
Pressure in New Orleans is definitely building, which is why this upcoming season is critical for the future success of this organization. It is a big IF, but IF Zion can stay healthy and IF the team's other stars in McCollum and Ingram are also on the court, the Pelicans can emerge as one of the biggest threats in the Western Conference. Should injury concerns continue to plague Zion Williamson, though, the Pelicans will need to hold serious conversations about starting over and moving their young star.
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