According to Will Guillory of The Athletic, the New Orleans Pelicans are “unlikely” to trade Zion Williamson this offseason.
Williamson represented the Pelicans at the draft lottery.
“Yes, the Pelicans were very intentional with their decision to make Williamson the team’s on-stage representative at the NBA Draft Lottery a few weeks ago (and Williamson’s decision to be there was also intentional),” Guillory wrote. “Yes, it’s very unlikely Williamson gets moved in a trade before the 2025-26 season starts.
“There’s already been communication between Williamson, his camp and Joe Dumars on several occasions. All parties feel pretty good about where things stand with the Pelicans-Williamson marriage heading into next season.”
Williamson appeared in 30 games for the Pelicans this season. He averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 56.7% from the field and 65.6% from the free-throw line.
A two-time All-Star, Williamson has career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games.
The Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in 2022. Williamson will make $39,446,090 next season, $42,166,510 in 2026-27 and $44,886,930 in 2027-28, the final season of his contract.
Williamson has played in just 45% of his possible games with the Pelicans since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The lefty has never played in a playoff game.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
