Zion Williamson Rumors: Insider Thinks Pelicans Are Open to Trade for Scoot Henderson

The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly could be on the verge of a monumental trade ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, which is just over a week away on June 22.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pelicans appear to be open to trading oft-injured star forward Zion Williamson in hopes of moving into the top three of this year's draft to select promising combo guard Scoot Henderson.

"I heard this week from one well-placed observer who is convinced that the Pelicans would indeed consider dealing Williamson away if it meant they could draft Henderson, pointing to a rising level of exasperation within the organization regarding Williamson's ongoing availability issues and overall approach," Stein stated.

Stein's report echoes a growing sentiment surrounding Williamson, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday's episode of Get Up that the Pelicans have had "cursory discussions" about trading him to land a premium pick in this year's draft. New Orleans currently owns the No. 14 pick after finishing with a 42-40 record this past season.

Trading away the 2019 No. 1 overall pick would be a franchise-altering decision for the Pelicans. It was just a year ago that they signed Williamson to a five-year max contract extension worth $194.3 million. Despite the major commitment to the 22-year-old, it sounds like he's been the focus of potential trade discussions, as Stein noted that the team is "less inclined to consider trading Brandon Ingram in the same scenario" to land Henderson.

While Williamson is a unique talent who has shown flashes of dominance, he has struggled to stay on the court during his brief NBA career. After missing the entire 2021-22 campaign while recovering from foot surgery, he was limited to 29 games this past season due to a hamstring injury. He played only 24 games as a rookie after suffering a torn meniscus in the 2019 preseason.

A two-time All-Star, Williamson has looked like one of the best young players in the league when healthy. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game this past season in his limited time on the court.

Trading Williamson would undoubtedly send shockwaves throughout the NBA, so it will be exciting to see how things play out for the Pelicans as the draft draws closer.