The New Orleans Pelicans finished the 2022-23 season 42-40, marking their first winning since 2018. Despite falling to the Thunder in the Play-In tournament, it was a sign that the franchise was moving in the right direction. However, most of the season's success was achieved without former first-overall pick Zion Williamson. Williamson, who has struggled with injuries since joining the league in 2019, played in just 29 games this season.
In the NBA Draft Lottery, the Pelicans drew the 14th overall pick. However, whether they stay there is another story. According to Shams Charania, the Pelicans are eager to make a trade that would give them the second or third pick in the draft. These picks are currently held by the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers respectively. However, what would the Pelicans be willing to give up in order to move that far up the draft board?
Zion Williamson Could Be Traded
If the Pelicans moved up, it would be to acquire G-League standout Scoot Henderson. However, a move from #14 to #2/#3 would require a lot of capital. Brian Windhorst addressed whether those trades could include Williamson on ESPN's Get Up. "I think it's fair to say, based on my conversations, there's an eye being kept towards whether the Pelicans would make Zion Williamson available ahead of trying to get into that top end of the draft." However, it must be mentioned that Williamson has a poison pill trade clause in his contract until July 1.
A package to get into the top three would have to include a mix of favorable draft picks and good on-court talent. But how valuable is Williamson? Obviously, he's an elite player when he's on the floor. However, he has missed 214 games since he was drafted. That's equivalent to 65.2% of all Pelicans games since his rookie season. Furthermore, the increasingly scandalous reports surrounding his personal life are likely to make a number of execs question whether he's the sort of influence they want on the team. Despite these concerns, he will still likely be an enticing prospect. This applies especially to the Blazers, who are adamant about building a "win-now" team around Damian Lillard. Any updates on these rumors will be reported here on HotNewHipHop.
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