Moving on from a franchise cornerstone is no longer unthinkable in today’s NBA. The Dallas Mavericks did it with Luka Doncic, the Atlanta Hawks did it with Trae Young, and now the New Orleans Pelicans face a similar crossroads with Zion Williamson. Nearly six years in, injuries have muted the promise of the 25-year-old, reshaping both expectations and his trade value.

The 2019 #1 pick in the draft should receive multiple first-round picks, right? Well, the league executives don’t see it that way, according to veteran NBA analyst Jake Weinbach.

“There’s a belief around the league that the Pelicans could essentially trade Zion Williamson for cap relief, similar to how the Hawks parted ways with Trae Young. New Orleans, who is expected to assess Williamson’s value, may ultimately seek a deal centered around expiring contracts in return for the franchise star,” Weinbach’s post read.

“To be clear, the Pelicans likely wouldn’t dump Zion Williamson for just expiring salary. But similar to the Trae Young deal, NOLA could target other impact players on cap-friendly contracts if they were to move on from the former No. 1 overall pick,” he further noted.

The Atlanta Hawks set a clear template when they moved Trae Young, who is owed $45.9 million this season and holds a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27. In return, they acquired CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, adding flexibility and experience. For the New Orleans Pelicans, a similar path could balance salary relief with meaningful draft capital rather than a simple reset.

Coming into this season, Zion stated, “I haven’t felt like this since college, high school.” He reduced his weight, but the injury problem continued. The 2x All-Star has missed 16 out of 39 games, mostly due to his left hamstring and right adductor. Even when fit, he has failed to lead his team to victory (5-18).

The Pelicans stayed patient enough with Williamson to sign him to a five-year, $197 million extension following the 2021-22 season. But how long should they remain patient with the 25-year-old’s tenuous health moving forward?

The timing couldn’t be more perfect as the Chicago Bulls could be a team to watch when it comes to the former Duke alum.

“Keep a close eye on the [Bulls] maybe pursuing Zion Williamson,” NBA insider Brett Siegel. “I’ve heard that there’s been some smoke there about Chicago scouting New Orleans in recent weeks, and Zion would be the ideal buy-low candidate for a team like the Bulls, who have a lot of expiring contracts.”

Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Coby White are all on expiring contracts at $13 million or higher. Any combination of those players could tempt New Orleans to finally part ways with Williamson, who remains signed through 2028.

Similarities between Trae Young and Zion Williamson’s issues

Signing max contracts is not a problem, but when that contract doesn’t reciprocate with winning basketball, things have to change. Despite Williamson averaging an impressive 22.5 points this season, the Pelicans hold a 5-18 record through the 23 games he’s appeared in. This is very comparable to the Hawks’ 2-8 record when Young has played this season, as opposed to 16-13 without him this season. This is one reason why a change is required. The other being the emergence of another star player.

The Hawks can now focus on building around Jalen Johnson, who is producing All-Star numbers with 23.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. Similarly, the Pelicans also have their own version of Johnson in Trey Murphy III. The 25-year-old is having his career-best season with 21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He is clearly taking the mantle as the team’s next franchise focus and best player.

Almost six years after welcoming Zion Williamson’s NBA debut with cautiousness, the New Orleans Pelicans are still managing their star player with care. Zion missed the entire 2021-22 season to recover from offseason surgery on his right foot. In 2022-23, he played in 29 games before missing the rest of the season. The Duke alum also missed the 2024 playoffs after injuring his left hamstring in a Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Let’s not forget that constant off-court problems, such as legal issues and claims from OnlyFans models, put a negative spotlight on Zion Williamson.