NBA rumors: Zion Williamson's trade value slaps Pelicans with harsh reality

12/02/2024 12:43 PM

The New Orleans Pelicans season is off to a terrible start, mostly due to the number of injuries they’ve had to deal with to their star players. With the season not going as planned and players on the shelf, the thought of trades has come up. One of the players that may have some value is Zion Williamson, but it’s not as high as people would expect, according to HoopsHype.

“Yet, as always, the success of the Pelicans hinges on the health of Williamson, who another NBA executive told HoopsHype he'd only consider trading one first-round pick to acquire due to his consistent durability concerns,” HoopsHype wrote.

Williamson is currently out indefinitely for the Pelicans because of a hamstring injury, and the team hasn’t been very successful when he’s not playing. On the other hand, when he’s healthy, they’re a completely different team. The Pelicans will most likely not trade Williamson, and with how his market looks, it doesn’t seem like they’ll get what they want.

Will Pelicans make changes at the trade deadline?

With the Pelicans wanting to stay under the luxury tax, they’re going to have to make a move at the trade deadline. There are a few options on the team that could be trade candidates, including Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

Trade rumors were swirling during the offseason with Ingram, and when he hits free agency, he’ll be looking for a max contract. If the Pelicans don’t plan on signing him to an extension, the best bet they have is to trade him for some pieces. It’s also a feeling that the Pelicans could move on from Ingram because of the fit on the court with he and Williamson.

As far as McCollum, the Pelicans see him as a veteran in the locker room, but his fit with Dejounte Murray also raises questions.

An NBA executive said about McCollum and Ingram: "New Orleans should move McCollum, and they'll likely move Ingram for another proven player," according to HoopsHype.

The Pelicans have a lot to work with if they want to make moves at the deadline, but they could also wait until the team gets healthy and see if they can make a run. The only question is when will everybody be healthy at the same time for the team, and how will they look all on the court together, especially if fit has already been a conversation with some of their key players.

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