Kevin O’Connor: “It’s Time to Trade Zion Williamson”

6. It’s Time To Trade Zion Williamson.

The Pelicans are reportedly one of the teams targeting Scoot Henderson. The G League Ignite point guard grew up idolizing Russell Westbrook and plays a lot like him as a powerhouse driver, fearless scorer, and skilled playmaker. But to trade into the top three of Thursday’s draft, New Orleans will have to part with a star. Are the Pelicans really willing to part with Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram?

Reports say the Pelicans are more willing to offload Williamson, who has been a dominant force when he’s on the court, averaging 26.7 points, on elite efficiency, plus 7.1 rebounds and four assists a game in his two All-Star seasons. But he’s also played only 114 games in four years—just 37 percent of his possible games—and will make a whopping $194 million over the next five seasons.

Zion plummeted from the top 10 to no. 28 in Bill Simmons’s latest Trade Value rankings. And that’s fair. As great as Williamson has been when healthy, he’s had knee injuries going back to high school and college. Throw in his questionable off-court decision-making, a subpar work ethic, and a lack of comradery with his teammates, and you’ve checked a lot of the boxes for a player who historically doesn’t live up to their potential. If Zion miraculously stays healthy, he’s going to put up a ton of points and generate baskets for his teammates, but he can’t space the floor on offense and he’s proved to be a liability on defense. Are we totally sure Williamson is even a “16-game player” if he can ever make it to the playoffs?

There’s still a crowd that believes Zion is a lottery ticket, praying for a jackpot of generational talent to finally pay off. But cashing that in for Scoot might make sense at this juncture, and still give the Pelicans a chance at an All-NBA talent.

Henderson is no surefire bet to be a star, which is why the Hornets or Blazers would even consider trading their picks. He’s small, which negatively affects his ability to score around the basket and get stops on defense. He’s also never proved he can shoot with efficiency, a critical skill for a guard. With that said, he definitely has it vibes. He’s a selfless playmaker, and his scoring flashes resemble those of star guards. In New Orleans, Henderson would get to work with arguably the best shooting instructor in the world, assistant coach Fred Vinson, giving him a better chance of reaching his upside.

FanDuel TV’s Shams Charania reported last week that the Hornets prefer Ingram, who has had some health issues of his own. But he’s played in 72.5 percent of total possible games with the Pelicans and he averaged 27-6-6 in a playoff series. Most reports have said the Hornets favor the forward Miller over Henderson, so if that’s true it would make sense they’d want a more advanced version of Miller in Ingram, who will still only be 25 years old next season. As for Portland, my sense from league sources is that Portland’s preference is Williamson, who’d be a weapon in the pick-and-roll and in handoffs alongside Damian Lillard (should he stick around) and Shaedon Sharpe.

If the Pelicans are looking to move up, they also have the 14th pick in this draft, and a treasure chest of future firsts that includes all of their own picks, a Lakers first in 2024 or 2025, and a bevy of Bucks picks. New Orleans could also dangle young talent like Trey Murphy, Dyson Daniels, or Herb Jones. Regardless, New Orleans should be focused on getting a haul for Zion this summer. Look at how Washington fumbled its superstar trade. This could be the Pelicans’ last chance.

by TheManOfQuail