Zion Williamson May No Longer Draw Huge Trade Return

Newsweek

3 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a nightmare of a season. Following a successful summer last year, expectations were that the Pelicans would establish themselves as one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
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Instead, injuries derail their season and once again, at the forefront of it was their superstar forward, Zion Williamson. Williamson was once again hampered by injuries this year, playing in only 30 games.
The rumors are swirling, and with his future in New Orleans uncertain, there's a chance that last season was the last we'll see of him in the Big Easy. However, if the Pelicans were to make Williamson available for trade, they may not get a massive haul in return.
According to Shamit Dua of WDSU New Orleans, multiple executives around the league believe Williamson's trade value will be limited.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during a post-game interview following the Pelicans victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on March 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during a post-game interview following the Pelicans victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on March 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Photo by"There seems to be this general idea of like you kind of saw it with with like Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis that like there will be teams that do not necessarily care about the reputation provided they have enough general information to know that this is going to get settled out of court and the allegations won't stick.
"There will be teams who do not care and but those teams who do not care need to be sufficiently desperate one and two they're not going to give you anything of value. So you're going to get really bad contracts and likely no picks. But if you do get a pick, it's a late pick. So an example would be Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson for Zion and some small salary just to kind of make it even."
Executives around the league believe that Zion Williamson's trade value is limited to bad contracts and no draft picks, per @FearTheBrown
'There seems to be this general idea of like you kind of saw it with with like Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis that like there will be… pic.twitter.com/68bPazvwk1 — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 3, 2025
While there is no doubt about Williamson's talent, injuries have taken a toll, and many seem to prefer not to deal with it.
Williamson's career has not panned out like many expected it to. While he's still earned two All-Star appearances, he's sat on the sidelines more than he's played on the hardwood.
This past season, Williamson put up impressive numbers—averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field in just 28.6 minutes of action. However, if a team were to pursue a trade for him, the return package would likely include picks projected toward the back end of the draft.
Concerns about Williamson go beyond just his on-court availability. His recurring injuries are closely tied to lingering questions about his durability, conditioning, and off-court discipline—issues that have followed him since he entered the league in 2019.
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