Zion Williamson Rumors: Pelicans Had 'Exploratory' Trade Talks Before Max Contract
Before signing him to a contract extension, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly engaged in trade talks involving All-Star forward Zion Williamson last offseason.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the negotiations were "exploratory" in nature and did not lead to a deal, as New Orleans instead signed Williamson to a five-year, $194.3 million extension.
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said this week on Get Up that the Pelicans had "cursory discussions" about moving up from 14th overall into the top five in the 2023 NBA draft:
Windhorst noted that while the Pels had not officially made Zion available in such a trade, there is "an eye being kept" on the possibility of a trade involving him.
Despite buzz regarding the Pelicans wanting to get up to No. 2 or No. 3 overall in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers so they can select guard Scoot Henderson, it seems unlikely that such a deal will happen.
During an appearance this week on the The Lowe Post podcast (h/t RealGM Wiretap), ESPN NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony said he has been told by sources that the Pelicans are not trading Williamson.
After one huge collegiate season at Duke, Williamson went first overall to the Pels in the 2019 NBA draft, and while he has shown flashes of being a franchise player, injuries have severely limited him.
Over four NBA seasons, Zion has played just 114 regular-season games. He missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury, plus all but 24 games as a rookie and all but 29 games last season.
The only time Williamson played close to a full season was in 2020-21 when he appeared in 61 games and averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists en route to being named an All-Star for the first time.
Zion was also an All-Star last season with averages of 26.0 points, 7.0 boards, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals, but a hamstring injury was chiefly responsible for costing him 53 games.
Williamson will only be 23 when the 2023-24 season starts, and he still has plenty of time to turn things around, but the Pels have been unable to rely on him.
Paying such a hefty salary to a player who rarely suits up makes it nearly impossible to compete at a high level, and the Pels have to weigh that risk and reward.
For now, New Orleans' best course of action may be to hope that Zion's durability improves since a healthy core of Williamson, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum would perhaps give the Pelicans a chance to compete at a high level in the Western Conference.
