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“Zion Williamson to leave New Orleans?”: Multiple family members of the Pelicans star do not want to see the All-Star in New Orleans

Samir Mehdi
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“Zion Williamson to leave New Orleans?”: Multiple family members of the Pelicans star do not want to see the All-Star in New Orleans

Zion Williamson’s family members reportedly do not want to see him on the New Orleans Pelicans and instead, want him on another team. 

The player empowerment movement that really took off in the 2010s is not losing any steam, any time soon. With stars such as Kristaps Porzingis and James Harden forcing their way out of New York and Houston, respectively, and Luka Doncic inadvertently causing the firing of two Mavs exec, Zion Williamson may look to follow suit. 

The New Orleans Pelicans seem to strike out even when they have a talented roster/ a sole superstar. Back when they were the New Orleans Hornets, their 4-some of Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, and David West took to defending champ Spurs to 7 games in the WCSF. They would never go further in the Playoffs with that roster.

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Anthony Davis would also suffer a similar fate as he would not sniff a conference finals until he, like what Zion Williamson may do eventually, demanded a trade to a big market city and landed in LA. With the Pelicans having had a mere 6% in the 2019 NBA Draft to snag Zion, they did just that and in 2 years, seem to have botched their relationship with him. 

Zion Williamson may not be a Pelican for long as his family members do not want to see him on that team. 

Bringing in Stan Van Gundy to help bring some discipline in the locker room by a coach who focuses on hard-nosed defense and tolerates no slacking might have seemed like a good idea to integrate within a roster of budding, young stars. However, this completely backfired as Van Gundy completely lost the locker room, resulting in a major disconnect between him and his players. 

Now, according to reports from the Athletic, multiple members of Zion Williamson’s family have come out to voice their opinion on what they want the Jordan athlete to do in his time with the Pelicans. Long story short, they don’t want him in New Orleans.

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According to them, the Pelicans have failed to surround Zion Williamson with the right roster to best compliment his playstyle and could not elevate the team to a higher level of play. This is understandable when you think about the fact that Eric Bledsoe brought the ball up the court more times than Lonzo Ball last season. 

To play devil’s advocate however, a 1x All-Star who’s played merely 85 games in the association demanding a trade should be a red flag of sorts for other teams interested in him. Though he has not demanded one outright, it’s looking less likely today that he would be signing his rookie max extension with the Pelicans come 2022-23. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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