Zion Williamson
Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Seemingly from the moment he was selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, there has been some semblance of trade rumors involving Zion Williamson. Yet, those rumors have never materialized into an actual deal.
Is this the offseason where the Pelicans are finally willing to listen to offers for their face of the franchise? That remains to be seen, but some would suggest the Pelicans would be dealing the two-time All-Star at a bad time.
Not only was he limited to just 30 games this past season due to a back injury, now the soon-to-be 25-year-old has been accused of rape and domestic violence. In other words, teams may not want anything to do with the superstar talent.
So it comes as no surprise to see Shamit Dua’s report that Williamson’s trade value is now at a new all-time low.
“There seems to be this general idea of like you kind of saw it with with like Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis that like there will be teams that do not necessarily care about the reputation provided they have enough general information to know that this is going to get settled out of court and the allegations won’t stick. There will be teams who do not care and but those teams who do not care need to be sufficiently desperate one and two they’re not going to give you anything of value. So you’re going to get really bad contracts and likely no picks. But if you do get a pick, it’s a late pick. So an example would be Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson for Zion and some small salary just to kind of make it even.”
Shamit Dua on Zion Williamson’s trade value
Are the Pelicans that eager to move away from the player with the most potential on the roster? Is the fanbase ready to move on from Williamson? After the latest allegations, anything is possible.
Yet, other teams could view Williamson’s situation as a golden opportunity, giving them a chance to add a potential top-tier talent at a fraction of the usual price.
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