Report: Zion Williamson could be traded by New Orleans Pelicans this week

Just four drafts ago, Zion Williamson was one of the biggest NBA prospects in years. Now, with the 2023 NBA Draft just days away, his future with the New Orleans Pelicans seems as uncertain as ever.

Bill Simmons was the latest to suggest as much on his podcast over the weekend. He said that the smoke around Williamson’s availability is “real.” Simmons then added that a trusted source recently told him that Williamson will not be a member of the Pelican’s franchise anymore by draft day.

“The Zion thing is a real, real, real subplot,” Simmons said. “I had somebody tell me yesterday, (somebody) that I trust, that he will not be on that team on Thursday. And I was like, ‘Really? I haven’t heard that.’ And they were like, ‘You watch.'”

Over his four NBA seasons, Williamson has flashed some very high highs and quite a few low lows.

On a positive note, Williamson has been sensational when he has played. He has earned the honor of being an NBA All-Star twice with career averages of 25.8 points, seven rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on an incredibly high field goal percentage of 60.5%.

However, that’s where things turn negative. Injuries have limited Williamson’s success as he has struggled to remain on the floor. Of a possible 315 games since being New Orleans’ No. 1 pick in 2019, Williamson has played in just 114. That’s less than 40% of those games where he has actually managed to make an appearance.

With that in mind, his weight of over 280 pounds has come into question. The jury is also out on his role as a leader of the Pelican’s franchise. That’s why, ahead of this year’s NBA Draft, their front office is having these kinds of conversations in The Big Easy, especially with prospects such as Scoot Henderson potentially up for grabs.

There’s no doubt about Williamson as a player when he’s on the court. Even so, with him consistently off of it, New Orleans is doing their due diligence to decide if he’s still capable of being their superstar.

Pelicans discussing trading Williamson says Brian Windhorst

Zion Williamson, the former Duke basketball star and viral sensation, has spent all four seasons of his young career in New Orleans. However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, this offseason is likely the first where he may be on the trading block.

“I think for the first time really, this is something that’s being discussed in the league,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’. “The Pelicans have the 14th pick in next Thursday’s draft. The indications they have given? With conversations they’re having out there? They do want to move up, if they can, in the top part of this draft.”

According to Windhorst, a new upcoming prospect may have New Orleans interest ahead of this year’s draft.

“There is a belief the organization is really interested in Scoot Henderson. And they believe, potentially, going all-out to try to get him could be in the organization’s best interest,” Windhorst said. “And, look, if you look at their roster, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this could include Zion Williamson.”