It's safe to say that the 2024-25 season hasn't gone according to plan for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans currently have the third-worst record in the NBA this season thanks to an avalanche of injuries, specifically to injured star Zion Williamson. Williamson has missed more than 55% of his career games and has only played six games this season.
While he appears to be ramping up for a return, there's no telling whether he will be able to stay healthy over the course of the remainder of the regular season. That should force the Pelicans to think long and hard about finally moving on from their star player. Particularly with Brandon Ingram also having an unclear future with the team.
Ingram can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and while all the Pelicans have apparently been shopping him, there doesn't appear to be much interest from teams. After all, he could demand at least $35 million a year, and teams probably aren't interested in acquiring a player, that they may have to pay at least $120 million dollars.
While he is a talented player, he has struggled to stay healthy, averaging only 55 games over the course of his 7-year career. With Zion and Ingram both having unclear features and the Pelicans likely to have a top-five pick in this year's draft, they should think long and hard about trading Zion and going all in on a rebuild.
If and when they decide to move on from Zion, they may find a lackluster trade market for him. His injury concerns could depress a potential bidding war for the former number-one overall pick. That being said, there are several teams that could potentially kick the tires on making a trade for Zion in the hope that he can resurrect his career and begin to live up to his promise in a new city.
That may be wishful thinking, with few players having had so many missed games over the course of their first six seasons and going on to have a strong career in the NBA. Joel Embiid, who missed two and a half seasons to start his career, is the closest potential comp for Zion, and even still that might not be enough to draw interest from other teams who have to give real assets to match his salary and to entice the Pelicans to move on from him.
There are three potential teams that could register interest in Zion, each having enough assets and big contracts to make a deal with the Pelicans seem at least realistic. It will ultimately depend on what the Pelicans are looking for. If they are looking for a player of equal talent, then they may be out of luck.
But if they are willing to take back contracts and draft picks for Zion, then they might be able to find a deal that works for them and allows them to move on from him once and for all. Next up we will take a look at three possible Zion trades and see which one makes the most sense for them.