Zion Williamson has played in only 45% of his possible games with the New Orleans Pelicans since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The All-Star has never played in a playoff game and there have been questions about his weight.
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.
The Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in 2022. After New Orleans fired David Griffin and hired Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as its new president of basketball operations, rumors swirled that Dumars could trade Williamson this offseason.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
However, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic, the Pelicans are unlikely to trade Williamson this summer.
"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). Yes, it’s very unlikely Williamson gets moved in a trade before the 2025-26 season starts," Guillory wrote.
"There’s already been communication between Williamson, his camp and Dumars on several occasions. All parties feel pretty good about where things stand with the Pelicans-Williamson marriage heading into next season."
Williamson has career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games. He will make $39.4 million next season.
The Pelicans have the seventh overall pick in this year's draft. The franchise hasn't won a postseason series since 2018.