3) NBA Trades: The Miami Heat land Zion Williamson in blockbuster deal
Considering Zion has had problems staying healthy over the course of his NBA career, he could use a fresh start. Part of it is that those problems have been related to his conditioning and dieting, with him often playing overweight, but he slimmed down this past season.
Playing in a different environment, one that would hold him more accountable, could help him maintain his weight and take pressure off his lower body. That, in turn, could help him stay healthy over the course of a long season, and the Miami Heat could be the ones to help him do that.
They have worked wonders with other players with questionable work ethics and would be the team that maximizes his potential. Considering they are looking to start a new era post-Jimmy Butler, they could take a swing at Zion, who wouldn't command as much as stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
A potential Miami Heat trade package for Williamson could include Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2031 first-round pick. That would give the Pelicans two firsts for their best player as well as a starting-caliber player in Wiggins and a rotation player in Anderson.
With New Orleans potentially rebuilding, they likely wouldn't keep either player and could trade them again before or during the season for more assets. All things considered, that wouldn't be a bad move for the Pelicans since it would give them real assets for their best player. It isn't nearly as much as he would command if he were consistently healthy.
Even so, it may be enough to get them to consider moving Zion. As for the Heat, they would be able to flip two of the assets received in the Butler trade for Zion, allowing them to pair him with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Offensively, Zion is a center, but defensively, he isn't good enough to protect the rim or crash the glass by himself. As a result, he often needs to play alongside a big man who can do both, and Adebayo would fit the bill.
Adebayo has work to expand his range, and while he isn't a stretch five per se, he is a reliable mid-range shooter, giving the Heat enough spacing in a hypothetical lineup including Zion. If they can sign Davion Mitchell and this hypothetical, they could try to line up that includes Mitchell, Herro, Duncan Robinson, Williamson, and Adebayo.
That could be a devastating lineup with enough shooting to compensate for Zion's lack of spacing. Meanwhile, Zion would be able to create for himself and others in the pick-and-roll and is a physical driver who can score at will in the paint.
The Heat's decision to give up Wiggins, Anderson, and two first-round picks would be a reasonable gamble, given that they currently lack another way to acquire a third star unless they win the Giannis or Durant sweepstakes. All told, this deal potentially makes sense for both New Orleans and Miami.