The NBA trade deadline came and went without any deal for New Orleans Pelicans F Zion Williamson, but it could be time for the team to move on this offseason.
Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes it is time for the Pelicans to reset without the former top pick, despite Williamson's desire to remain in New Orleans.
"If I'm the Pelicans, I definitely shop him this offseason and see what kind of assets I could get back," Perkins said on the Road Trippin' podcast. "Zion, with this recent sample size, he's not only helping the Pelicans, but I believe he's helping himself. I just feel like it's too late to rekindle this relationship and make it work to say that he's going to be our guy."
The Pelicans hold a record of 20-44 this season and sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. However, the team does have a nucleus of intriguing young talent to build around, including forwards Trey Murphy III and Derik Queen, as well as guards Dejounte Murray and Jeremiah Fears.
To build around that core, the Pelicans could deal Williamson for more draft capital and assets, as Perkins referred to.
Williamson's career has not turned out the way many had thought when the former Duke star was taken with the first pick in 2019. The 6-foot-6 forward has battled injuries and issues off the court.
Still, Perkins credited Williamson for dealing with those issues and shifting his perception, despite believing his injury history would prevent him from being a star that a team could build around.
"Zion has changed the narrative about himself," Perkins said. "Shoutout to him, because accountability means having hard conversations with people in your circle. It means letting go of certain people in your circle and putting yourself under the wing of someone like Bill Duffy. That level of accountability matters."
The Pelicans will likely end up with one of the worst records in the NBA this season, but the team doesn't own its first-round pick this year. That pick was traded to the Atlanta Hawks during the most recent NBA Draft.
It won't be easy, but the Pelicans might have to consider trading away a face of the franchise like Williamson to capitalize on their young talent.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.