Fans of the New Orleans Pelicans are likely waiting with bated breath on any update regarding superstar Zion Williamson. Williamson has only played six games thus far this season and has missed more than a month with a hamstring injury. With seemingly no return in sight, the Pelicans recently revealed that he would be reevaluated in 2 weeks.
Although it initially appeared that Williamson would soon return, there have been no updates since December 4th. This is despite him supposedly being reevaluated two weeks from that date, but 3 weeks later there has been no news surrounding the pelican star. Perhaps the absence of news is telling in and of itself.
With the Pelicans having the second worst record in the NBA right now, they shouldn't be in any rush to bring him back. Even if they do, it could take weeks, not only to ensure he doesn't reinjure himself but also to potentially showcase him for a trade.
Has Zion Williamson played his final game for the New Orleans Pelicans?
With no news regarding Zion's health, it is hard to gauge when he will return. The Pelicans have been tight-lipped about his injuries in the past, so them not being transparent seems to be par for the course. However, this season appears different with the Pelicans open to trading him and them having the second worst record in the league.
If Zion continues to miss time, the Pelicans can safeguard their lottery position and potentially end up with one of the three worst records in the NBA. That would ensure that they have equalized for the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft lottery.
Although a 14.7% chance at the top seems low, even if they end up with the second pick, they could draft a game changer such as Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper to potentially pair with Zion next season or even to reboot the roster.
That is a tricky scenario since it would involve the Pelicans finally trading Zion, but his trade value is seemingly at an all-time low with him having missed more than half of his career games and potentially all but six of the 2024-25 season.
Getting whatever they can in a trade for him would be the smart bet, and there will likely still be several teams interested in him. However, they shouldn't expect anything close to what other stars recently fetched in potential trades.
If they can get a couple of rotation players and a first-round pick, then they should jump at the chance to do so since they can't rely on him to stay healthy, even in year 6. Although it appears unlikely that he could be moved this season.
A more likely scenario is that they wait until the offseason, after the NBA draft lottery, and perhaps during the draft to see how the trade market develops around their best player. If they can find a deal that suits them, then they could decide to rebuild around whoever they draft. As a result, it's entirely possible Davis has played his final game with the Pelicans.