Pelicans may be ‘shopping’ Zion Williamson: 5 landing spots
NEW ORLEANS (BVM) – The New Orleans Pelicans were expected to contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference during the 2024-25 NBA season. However, the first couple of months of the campaign have gone about as poorly as possible in the Big Easy as the Pelicans won just five of their first 30 games and sit at the bottom of the West standings.
With their season already circling the drain, speculation that the Pelicans might trade some of their top stars continues to grow. While some building blocks like Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones are expected to be unavailable, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha recently reported on his podcast, “Buha’s Block,” that CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are players that the Pelicans “have been shopping more.”
ESPN insider Bobby Marks also recently listed Ingram and Williamson among the top players that league executives are closely monitoring when it comes to potential trades as the season progresses.
Williamson might ultimately be the most intriguing trade piece the Pelicans have as the former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke has displayed All-Star potential when healthy. Health continues to be the biggest issue for the 6-foot-6, 285-pound forward though as he has been out since Nov. 6 with an injured hamstring. Williamson missed a significant amount of games in his first several NBA campaigns as well, but appeared to turn a corner last season as he played in 70 contests, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and five assists while shooting 57% from the field.
While a trade for the two-time All-Star could prove difficult in part due to the three years and $126.4 million remaining on his contract, the upside he has shown while on the floor may be enticing enough for a team to deal a first-round pick and some expiring contracts to New Orleans. Here are five landing spots for Williamson if he is dealt.
