NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson could emerge as a surprise trade candidate this offseason.
Stretching back to the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. He was expected to enter the league and become one of the faces of the future of basketball. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. Largely because of injuries, Zion's first few years of his career have been pretty polarizing. And as the New Orleans Pelicans continue to weigh their options heading into the future, there is some speculation that a handful of teams will check in on the availability of Zion.
According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, there are several teams preparing to "make a run" at Zion this offseason. It remains to be seen whether the Pelicans will explore Zion's trade market this summer, but if that's something they'd be open to, it appears there could be a strong market for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Even though Zion has been dominant when he's been healthy and available, the struggles that he's endured through the first few years of his career have been overwhelming. Zion has only played in more than 65 games in a season once throughout his career and has missed one complete year.
The talent for Zion has never been a question. However, it's his availability and unpredictable health that have truly hurt the team. It's gotten to the point where the Pelicans may have to have some honest conversations (probably heading into this offseason) about whether it is in the best interest of the team to keep building around him.
Will the New Orleans Pelicans hit the reset button?
After the Pelicans decided to move on from Brandon Ingram ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, it became clear that the team was embracing somewhat of a facelift to their roster. Heading into the offseason, the question is, just how much change is the team planning on embracing?
Was the trade of Ingram more about his contract situation or about where this franchise is headed? Was it just the first of a few big moves? Was it the first step en route to a potential trade of Zion? These are all questions that the front office will need to answer this offseason. If the team is ready to embrace a complete rebuilding of their roster, a trade of Zion would likely be on their offseason to-do list.
Considering he's still a dominant player, even though he continues to be limited due to injuries, New Orleans should be able to find a trade partner quite seamlessly. The question is, are the Pelicans ready for that level of change? I'm assuming we're going to get the answer to that question when the offseason arrives.