The New Orleans Pelicans are looking towards the future. The organization has parted ways with David Griffin and has chosen Joe Dumars as its head of basketball operations.
One lingering question still remains, though: What does the organization do with star forward Zion Williamson?
Zion came into the NBA with as much hype as any prospect we have seen in the last decade. He’s also been an example of how hype doesn’t always translate into on-court success. Since Williamson was drafted, he has appeared in 214 games and has missed 268.
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Availability has been the biggest issue in his career, but productivity hasn’t been.
When Zion is on the court it is magical. He has career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 58.9% shooting. That causes a lot of frustration because Williamson has only played in 44% of his available games.
The Pelicans have made the playoffs twice since 2019. They haven’t advanced to the second round since 2018. Their lack of success raises the question of what the organization does with Williamson this offseason.
The conversation of moving off a franchise’s star player can be tricky, given the turmoil the Luka Dončić trade brought to the Dallas Mavericks. However, in the case of New Orleans, that conversation needs to happen for the sake of the future of the franchise.
Pros of Trading Zion
A fresh start may be best for both the New Orleans Pelicans franchise and Zion Williamson himself. As discussed, Williamson has only played in 44% of his available games. For a former number one overall pick, that isn’t great. A trade could give Zion a chance to restart and possibly blossom into the player everyone expected him to be. It also allows the Pelicans to turn another page and move into a new era.
The Pelicans’ return on investment for Zion was a lot of potential and not much else. When the Pelicans won the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery and got the rights to draft first, everyone knew it was time to move Anthony Davis and build around the future that was Zion. Trading Davis for three first-round picks, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart, was seen as a move to jumpstart this new era.
Alas, it didn’t turn out that way. All three of those players are now on different teams, and the Pelicans are still struggling to build a team around Zion.
Turning the page from this chapter of Pelicans basketball could be just what the franchise needs, especially if Zion continues not living up to his hype and draft expectations.
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Cons of Trading Zion Williamson
Look at what the Dallas Mavericks did with Luka Doncic and what happened to their franchise afterwards. General Manager Nico Harrison’s basketball acumen has been called into question. The franchise is bludgeoning season-ticket holders. The perception of their team cratered.
Zion is still beloved in New Orleans and a trade could damage the image of the Pelicans. With the volatile swings in production the Pelicans have endured since 2019, it wouldn’t be in Joe Dumars‘ best interest to start his tenure by trading the franchise player.
As the team is looking forward to the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Pelicans hold the fourth-highest odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick (12.5%), sitting only behind the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets (14% each). Winning the draft lottery would give New Orleans the rights to another Duke superstar, Cooper Flagg. The Pelicans entered the 2019 Lottery with a 6% chance, and they walked away with Williamson. A Flagg-Williamson duo could be enough to bring New Orleans to never-before-seen heights.
The prospect of trading Zion is a hard pill to swallow and could have real negative impacts on the team, especially when no one has seen the team operate at its full potential, given Zion’s inactivity and the injuries to Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Herbert Jones. Giving them a chance to get healthy and see what this team can do, plus whatever top prospect the team lands in the draft, may finally allow Zion and the New Orleans Pelicansto reach the summit.
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