New Orleans Pelicans’ two-time All-Star forward Zion Williamson has had a relatively disappointing career, playing in just 214 games across five seasons in the league. When he’s available, he’s a bona fide star, holding career averages of 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
The problem is that he isn’t available often enough. He has never played a full 82-game season and suited up for just 30 games last year. Add in the fact that he’s on a bloated contract, and it appears the organization is poised to explore his trade value this summer.
So, which teams could potentially land Williamson?
5 Trade Destinations for 2-Time All-Star Zion Williamson
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls’ decision-makers, namely executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas, are reluctant to begin a slow rebuild for one of the biggest markets in the league. Seemingly, they remain steadfast on putting a product on the floor that sells tickets, regardless of the fact that they’re stuck in what’s become known as “NBA purgatory” — the play-in tournament — year after year.
Williamson would be the exact type of player Karnišovas could target to boost ratings, ticket sales and overall marketing of the franchise. It would be an intriguing fit with the All-Star forward playing alongside another non-shooter in point guard Josh Giddey, but the highlights the two could combine on alley-oop dunks and long outlets would be a marketer’s dream.
Brooklyn Nets
Another franchise in a big market, the Nets have been largely dormant in terms of excitement for multiple years. They’ve been tanking, but it hasn’t worked as planned — they landed just the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Looking to infuse excitement into the franchise, they could target Williamson, who has been linked to the New York Knicks in recent years but could settle with Brooklyn. The roster is largely barren outside of role players, allowing the former All-Star to put together another excellent season with the ball in his hands — if he can stay healthy.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers have plenty of young talent that could be appealing to the Pelicans if they decide to target a star like Williamson. The roster seemed to gel during the back half of last season, nearly making a run at the 10th play-in spot in the West.
It wasn’t to be, and may have shown Portland’s decision-makers that was the ceiling for this group. If that’s how they feel, Williamson’s entry onto the trade block would certainly warrant a discussion, as he has the exact talent coveted by a young team looking to take the next step forward.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are in an interesting position, having seemingly maxed out their current roster, and would face questions if they ran it back for 2025-26. A trade for Williamson would surely mix things up while giving them a much higher ceiling.
The pairing of 2019 No. 2 pick Ja Morant and No. 1 pick Williamson would be a dream come true for basketball fans, as they’d undoubtedly be the highest-flying duo in league history. As far as winning, Memphis has shown it can be a regular-season victory machine when healthy before flaming out in the postseason. Adding another star could push them further.
Utah Jazz
With several young players the Pelicans could target, the Jazz need a player who can boost morale around the franchise. Enter Williamson, who, in a fresh situation, would hope to have a much less rocky tenure in Utah.
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If New Orleans is interested in Lauri Markkanen — as the Jazz have reportedly explored in the trade market — they could initiate a swap involving those two players plus others to make the money side work. Utah would get a talented player with loads of potential, and the Pelicans would get a win-now player who could help push them into playoff contention.
