New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is dealing with yet another injury and is set to miss “extended time.”
With Williamson once again sidelined, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained that he holds “next to no” trade value if the Pelicans want to move on from him before the deadline.
“Zion has next to no value right now for the Pelicans,” Windhorst said on NBA Today (3-minute mark). “Because of these injuries, they wouldn’t be able to get value for him. They don’t control their first-round pick this year because they’ve traded a swap to the Hawks, so they’re heavily incentivized to try and win the most games as possible.”
While his injuries have diminished his trade value, ESPN’s Bobby Marks explained on NBA Today that because Williamson’s contract is non-guaranteed over its last two seasons, trading for him wouldn’t be a major financial risk—if the Pelicans’ trade partner doesn’t have to give up a player or pick of too much value.
Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 who joined the league with great expectations, has missed more games than he’s played to start his career. He’s coming off a season in which he played just 30 games.
At his best, Williamson is capable of being the No. 1 option on a playoff team. He showed that during the 2023-24 campaign, when he played 70 games and averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
Unfortunately, that version of Williamson isn’t seen very often.
The Pelicans, who are off to a disastrous 3-19 start, have some decisions to make about their future with Williamson. If they stick with their star and he turns things around, they could avoid having to rebuild around a new player. But with the way things have gone, they might be ready to go ahead and move on.
If Williamson’s trade value is as low as it is believed to be, finding a worthwhile trade might be a daunting task.