Zion Williamson’s NBA career has been a rollercoaster of dominance and disappointment. Unable to drive a playoff run with the New Orleans Pelicans, there are speculations that Williamson could be traded this offseason after the Pelicans fired Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and hired Joe Dumars, the NBA’s Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations.
However, according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, Dumars wants to continue with Williamson as the team’s centerpiece.
NBA Insider Dials Down on Zion Williamson Trade Rumors
Williamson, a generational talent when he’s on the floor, will finish his sixth season in the league, having played just 30 games. That’s four times in six years where he’s failed to crack even 31 appearances. His latest injury, a back contusion suffered on March 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, was the final straw for New Orleans this season, as Williamson had to be shut down.
At this point, it’s fair to wonder where the Pelicans go from here. They built their entire future around Williamson, but how much longer can they keep relying on a player who simply can’t stay on the court?
With the change of leadership taking place, the chances of Williamson being shopped this season remain high. However, the Pelicans asked Williamson to be their on-stage representative at the NBA Draft lottery, and while it didn’t lead to anything more than New Orleans scoring the seventh overall pick, Stein believes it’s an indication Dumars wants to continue with Williamson next season.
“One of the more underrated and undercovered storylines of last Monday’s lottery: The Pelicans asked Zion Williamson to be their on-stage representative,” Stein wrote in his Substack. “It didn’t lead to anything more than New Orleans scoring the seventh overall pick, but league sources insist that it was a significant development.
“Amid no shortage of speculation about the Pelicans deciding to outright shop Williamson for the first time after six frustration-filled seasons, sources say that the lottery assignment was indeed intended to convey the message that New Orleans’ new front office, now headed by Louisiana native Joe Dumars, wants to try again to make things work with Williamson as the team’s centerpiece.”
“Amid speculation about the Pelicans deciding to shop Zion for the 1st time after 6 seasons, sources say that the lottery assignment was indeed intended to convey the message that Joe Dumars wants to try again to make things work with Zion as the team's centerpiece.”
-Marc Stein pic.twitter.com/3zEzNgzrdc
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX)
When Williamson has played, he’s been nothing short of dominant. This season, in just 30 appearances, he put up 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. That’s superstar production—just without the sustainability and availability, and something that the Pelicans will be looking at during trade discussions.
Was Joe Dumars Hired to Trade Williamson?
Shamit Dua recently reported that conversations around the league suggest that Gayle Benson hired Dumars to trade Williamson. Dumars denied the report during a chat with The Athletic.
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“No edicts,” he said. “None whatsoever. I read that last week, that I had a mandate. I was just like, if I had, no one has called me and told me that. No, really. Absolutely zero. When me and Mrs. Benson talked, she really just said what she said here. She said to me, ‘Joe I would love to know what it’s like to win an NBA title.’ That was it. That’s as close to an edict as you’ll get.
“I intend to do that, to get to know people first … I’m slowly starting to do that now and talk to everyone. But no mandate. Zero. Nothing like that.”
