NBA Trades: The Hornets go all in for Zion Williamson in a mock deal.
A spicy potential landing spot for Zion is his home state of North Carolina with the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have shown flashes of greatness this season with LaMelo Ball putting up monster numbers and Brandon Miller looking like he might one day be a star in his own right. That being said, they have gotten off to a bad start and appear unlikely to make the playoffs yet again.
With the Hornets appearing to be heading to the draft lottery for a 5th straight season, they may instead look to add talent in hopes of turning their fortunes around. Gambling on Zion would be risky, to say the least, but it could also work out in a big way. New Orleans may not have been the best fit for Zion, given the temptations that come with the Big Easy, including the food and alcohol that are readily available there.
His being back in his home state may hopefully lead to better habits and him taking his conditioning more seriously. His keeping his weight down would likely translate into fewer nagging injuries.
Pairing Zion with Miller and Ball would be an explosive trio that, when all three are healthy, could make noise in the Eastern Conference. Building around Zion can be difficult given that he is a 6'6 power forward with zero spacing, though he'd be playing next to Ball, who is a 6'7 point guard, and a terrific shooter in Miller, who projects to be a good shooter in his own right while also being 6'9.
The Hornets have mostly been a nonfactor as a franchise for years, even dating back to their ill-fated Charlotte Bobcats days, with them being mostly terrible during that 10-year span. After regaining their Hornets nickname, they haven't been all that much better. Making an all-in deal for Zion would at least give them a high-end outcome if he were able to stay healthy.
It might not make them a playoff contender, but it would at least make them a potential playoff team that has a chance to be more. Zion is still only 24. Ball is just 22 while Miller is 21. Those three, paired together, would make for an explosive trio that has a chance to get even better playing alongside one another. The cost of taking a chance on Zion would mean them giving up two first-round picks, 2024 lottery pick Tidjane Saluun, Cody Martin, and Grant Williams.
All things considered, that would be a reasonable gamble, and if Zion were to become available, then they should strongly consider making a move to acquire him. After all, it could be years before they actually manage to build a contender around Ball, and their track record suggests that may never happen. At least with Zion, they have a chance at a superstar to pair with other talented players in Ball and Miller. They should absolutely consider trading for Zion.