The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson were both “very intentional” in their joint decision to send him to Chicago as their on-stage representative for the lottery. The Pelicans won the lottery six years ago to select Williamson, but their partnership has been rocky at times as he’s dealt with a number of injuries and some general strain between the parties.
Williamson is “very unlikely” to be traded before the 25-26 season and there has been communication between him and his camp with Joe Dumars.
“All parties feel pretty good about where things stand with the Pelicans-Williamson marriage heading into next season,” write William Guillory at The Athletic.
Despite Williamson’s issues with injuries and fitness, he would likely receive considerable trade interest. Williamson will enjoy a fresh start with a new front office regime in Dumars, but he is not expected to be as patient as David Griffin was with him during his tenure with the Pelicans. By the end of Griffin’s time, there were rumblings he was ready to consider trading Williamson.
Williamson finished the 24-25 season with averages of 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 28.6 minutes across 30 games. Williamson’s PER of 27.1 was the highest in his career and amongst the best in the NBA.