During the early days of the 2025 offseason, the Houston Rockets have already been linked to a potential trade pursuit of a forward with multiple career All-Star honors (Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo).
But the same logic seemingly won’t apply with New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, an All-Star in 2021 and 2023.
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While reports in previous years have suggested at least some level of interest from the Rockets in Williamson, that no longer appears to be the case. Via Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic:
As for Williamson, who has spent the majority of his first six seasons falling short of expectations while experiencing health issues along the way, team sources said the Rockets see him as too risky.
Relative to previous years, two things have changed over the past year that may have influenced Houston’s thinking. First, Williamson (now 24 years old) went through another injury plagued season in 2024-25, during which he played in only 30 of 82 games. In four of his six NBA seasons to date, Williamson hasn’t exceeded 30 games played.
Second, the Rockets themselves finished 2024-25 with a 52-30 record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Thus, with the team having a much higher floor (relative to versions earlier this decade that finished at No. 11 or worse among the 15 West teams), Williamson’s boom-or-bust profile is now more concerning — since Houston has more to lose in any “bust” scenario.
In contrast to Williamson, availability has been a relative strength for Antetokounmpo — who has exceeded 60 games played in all 12 of his NBA seasons.
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More: Report: In 2025 offseason, Rockets open to pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with Bucks
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets reportedly view potential Zion Williamson trade as ‘too risky’