Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
I wouldn't say that Zion Williamson has been a disappointment through the first few years of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans but his injury history has put a wet blanket on the hype and intrigue that surrounded his entrance into the NBA. He's shown signs of being a dominant force in the league but injuries have limited his impact. Even though he's been relatively healthy this season, he's taken a bit of a step back in terms of overall production and efficiency, opening the door for more doubt regarding his future with New Orleans.
Unless there's a huge uptick of production for Zion in the second half of the season, there's going to need to be a real conversation to be had for the front office heading into the offseason. Even more so if the team ends up missing the playoffs this season. If there's no step forward this year, compared to last season, something is likely going to have to change during the summer. Quite frankly, that could be Zion.
Zion hasn't been the franchise-altering star that the Pelicans believed he'd be when they drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. I predict his all leads with Zion eventually being traded, and perhaps that happens as early as this year.