Pelicans star Zion Williamson has failed to live up to expectations due to his inability to stay healthy. New Orleans has suffered the most injuries of any team. As a result, they own the worst record in the entire league at 5-28. However, there are significant concerns surrounding Williamson as he’s only been active in over 30 games twice in his five-year career. Regardless of the doubts surrounding his health, an anonymous NBA executive revealed that they would risk it all for a chance to have Williamson on their team.
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The greatest ability is availability, but some players possess a skill set that intrigues everyone. There is a reason why Williamson faced comparisons to LeBron James before entering the NBA. His incredible explosiveness and verticality made him a force of havoc. He is still only 24 years old and this NBA executive has yet to give up hope on Zion’s potential. They said,
“I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.”
An anonymous Eastern Conference executive implies that he’d risk it all for Zion Williamson if the Pelicans made him available
"I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions."
(Via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/YAPxFw3Ry5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 31, 2024
There is no further information that hints to the team the executive is from. However, they would certainly make an ill-advised trade for the two-time All-Star if they were making the decision. To preface, when fully healthy Williamson is one of the best players the NBA has to offer. It isn’t a coincidence that he earned All-Star selections in the two seasons he was healthy. When he is on the court he produces at an extremely high level.
The problem is, he isn’t on the court long enough. As a result, trade rumors have been circulating about the former Duke star in recent weeks.
Zion Williamson trade rumors
The Pelicans have made most of their core players available in trade discussions amidst their horrendous season. However, Williamson is by far the biggest name on the roster to be in the recent trade buzz. There are rumors that there are two teams that hold a connection to the Pelicans star, the Bulls and the Warriors.
The Warriors are a surprising contender for Williamson as he doesn’t traditionally fit the system Golden State has cultivated in the Steve Kerr era. A potential trade package would have to include their young talent such as Jonathan Kuminga and most likely Andrew Wiggins to make the money work.
Moreover, the probability is high that the Pelicans will be looking for young talent and draft capital if they were to trade Williamson. New Orleans has until the February 6 trade deadline to decide on their intentions with their current roster.
