Zion Williamson has played in 114 games in his four NBA seasons, or 37% of the Pelicans’ games in those years. Yet when he plays, he’s a force of nature averaging 25.8 points on 60.5% shooting with seven rebounds a game. Last season he played in just 29 games for the Pelicans but they outscored opponents by 7.2 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.
It’s the paradox of Zion — he is an All-NBA level player who looks like a No. 1 pick when he is on the court, but that doesn’t happen often enough. There is understandable frustration with Zion in some quarters of the Pelicans organization, a feeling he (and, for that matter Brandon Ingram as well) is not dedicated enough to the off-court work needed to get on the court consistently.
But is there enough frustration to trade him and that potential? Maybe yes, according to multiple reports, which is why rumors of the Pelicans trading him for the No. 2 pick in the draft and the rights to Scoot Henderson keep growing.
There is ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on that network’s “Get Up.”Then there is Marc Stein on Substack.
There is no disputing New Orleans’ strong interest in Henderson. The Pelicans want more of a traditional playmaker than they’ve had and are undeniably drawn to the explosive Henderson, who has spent the past two seasons with the G League Ignite readying for his draft eligibility.
I heard this week from one well-placed observer who is convinced that the Pelicans would indeed consider dealing Williamson away if it meant they could draft Henderson, pointing to a rising level of exasperation within the organization regarding Williamson’s ongoing availability issues and overall approach. My read, at this juncture, is that the Pelicans are less inclined to consider trading Brandon Ingram in the same scenario.
Ingram could be a key here. While there are concerns about his willingness to play through minor injuries (he missed half of last season with a toe injury), he is a natural fit alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte far less of a financial risk than Zion. Ingram has two seasons at $69.8 million left on his contract, whereas Zion is about the enter the first year of his five-year, $194 million extension. Stein suggests the Pelicans don’t want to give Ingram up but that Charlotte may not want to take on the risk of Zion. Even with the upside.
One way or another, expect a whole lot of Zion rumors over the next few weeks.