NBA Insiders Think Zion Williamson, Pelicans Must Decide Future amid Trade Rumors

The New Orleans Pelicans may want Zion Williamson to stick around, but ESPN's Shams Charania says the belief around the NBA is that the team and player need to sit down this summer in order for that to happen.

"The last thing you want to do is trade Zion Williamson... and he just skyrockets, because he's able to find help, he's able to find that maturity, find that growth in his career. They want that to come in New Orleans," Charania said Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show.

"But, I do believe, and people around the league do believe, both sides have to come together this summer, and figure out exactly what that's going to look like. Because how it's going right now, it's not going to be sustainable for either side."

Charania continued: "This summer, I will say that the Pelicans have decisions, as an organization, they have decisions they're going to have to make. We've talked about the Suns evaluating everything? The Pelicans are going to be in the same boat. They have to look at everything, with the season they just had."

Williamson, who was sidelined with a hamstring strain for 27 games as the Pelicans slid to the bottom of the league standings between November and January, returned for just over two months before he was sidelined after an in-game fall on March 19.

The Pelicans announced Monday that Williamson would miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season while undergoing "rest and treatment" to treat a low back bone contusion.

Williamson finished the season having averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists through 30 games. The two-time All-Star has only played more than 30 games twice in six NBA seasons.

The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov previously reported that Williamson's contract is heavily tied to incentives, with significant portions of his salary dependent on games played and weigh-in markers.

The deal also included multiple opt-outs. The next one takes place on July 15, when Williamson's 2025-26 salary guarantees are set to kick in. As of now, none of the final three years on his contract are currently guaranteed.

Multiple reporters including NBC Sports' Kurt Helin have indicated that the Pelicans are not expected to waive Williamson. That limits the Pelicans' options to either trading Williamson or committing to at least one more season with him. According to Charania, the latter option may necessitate some offseason discussion with the oft-injured star.