About 20 percent of the 2025-26 NBA regular season is over. It’s a small sample size, but it’s enough for some teams to realize that they can’t be playoff contenders. What they do with that realization is the interesting part.
Advertisement
Some teams will try to fight back, some will pivot to a full-on tank, and some will look to make wholesale roster changes. One of those teams that won’t be in the playoff mix is the New Orleans Pelicans. At just 2-13 and looking up at a stacked Western Conference, the Pels’ situation this year is about as hopeless as it gets.
Even worse, it’s unclear how the current roster is going to compete in years to come. They can’t even tank to improve their draft position because they traded their first-round pick away to move up and take Derik Queen in June. And, even though it has been bandied about for years, this season might be the final straw that leads to Zion Williamson getting traded.
Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols discussed that possibility on the latest episode of their Open Floor podcast. They approached the question with a level of thoughtfulness and nuance that basketball fans don’t always get from other analysts.
“You don’t have your pick this year,” Nichols said. “Is there something you could do to get a pick in this transcendent draft back, and is it time to trade Zion Williamson?”
Nichols is referring to a loaded draft class that includes BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson, and UNC freshman Caleb Wilson, among others.
Back in 2019, Zion was the most hyped prospect in years. But injuries and a general lack of fitness have kept him from ever coming close to reaching his ceiling with the Pelicans. His value is nowhere near what it once was, so Mannix was dubious about what trading him would do. “What does Zion get you right now?” he asked.
“For the third time in four years, he is dealing with a major injury… He has played 30 games or less in two of the last three years… I just don’t know what the value for Zion is right in this moment. Like, would Utah give up their unprotected first-round pick in this year’s draft to get Zion Williamson?” Mannix explained.
Zion returned from his hamstring strain on Thursday night after missing eight games. Though he had a quiet game by his standards, that too in a losing cause against the Nuggets, it was good to see him back on the court. The trade deadline isn’t until February, so he’ll have to put together a healthy stretch before then if the Pelicans hope to get anything of value in return for him.
“I think if you can sell someone on giving you their first-round pick in this draft, and it is above 15,” Nichols said, before Mannix expressed that he wouldn’t be so quick to do that if he were the Pelicans.
Mannix still believes Zion can figure it out and be an impact guy. He also took the Pels to task for not having the foresight to keep their pick for what everyone expects to be a talent-rich draft, especially one where they look like a lock to snag a high pick.
Nichols didn’t disagree that Zion could still find his way. But she made a compelling case that the Pelicans shouldn’t wait around forever for him to do it. “It’s not working for you,” Nichols said of the Pelicans.
“I compare sometimes with NBA teams’ trades with buying a house, because I think there’s a lot of similarities. You just need one buyer, that sort of thing. You can have a house that’s a great house, it just doesn’t work for you or your family, right?” she tried to explain.
Nichols suggested that this is the point where the Pelicans have to evaluate where Williamson fits into their plans. “We have a large sample size at this point, and the truth is, he has not been able to in New Orleans,” she went on before rattling off his fitness concerns, the owner situation, etc.
“And Zion Williamson, after a long trial period, it’s not working. So even if he goes off and is a great ‘apartment’ for someone else, the truth is, you know by now, it’s not working for you,” the analyst added.
The Pelicans have to like what they’ve seen out of Queen and fellow first-round pick Jeremiah Fears so far. Queen dropped 30 with a full stat line against the Nuggets last night, while Fears is averaging over 15 points per game.
If the Nuggets can trade Zion for a chance at another top prospect in next year’s draft, it could give them a fresh start and a brighter future. At the very least, it will get them out of the waiting game of wondering if things will ever click for their former No. 1 pick.
