NBA Analyst Tom Haberstroh recently spoke on an episode of The Big Number and voiced his belief that the New Orleans Pelicans could have a perfect opportunity on their hands to finally trade Zion Williamson with the news of Jimmy Butler now being out for the season.
"Zion Williamson is often injured, he's a guy that it doesn't seem like he has a future in New Orleans ... Just reading the tea leaves here," Haberstroh said. "But it does seem like, for me, Zion Williamson could be had in a Jimmy Butler swap."
This argument makes total sense when you consider where the Pelicans and the Golden State Warriors are at respectively. The Warriors wanted to keep their core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler together to try to make another playoff run, but now all hope certainly seems lost with that team. No one is quite sure what they're going to do next, but making some sort of trade isn't out of the question at all.
For Golden State, the goal is clear: find a way to get Curry another win-now player that will make keeping this current team together justifiable. If they can't make something work, it certainly seems like Curry would be done winning championships.
The Pelicans can trade Zion Williamson to the Warriors
Enter New Orleans. The Pelicans had been acting conservatively with their trade deadline plans up to this point, and that's a strategy that certainly made sense. If you're not getting compelling offers, guys like Williamson, Trey Murphy and Herb Jones carry too much value to agree to a low-ball deal.
But the Jimmy Butler development could hypothetically change things for this franchise. Much of the fanbase in New Orleans may be done with Zion, but the organization isn't ready to give him away for pennies on the dollar. A team like the Warriors having an urgent need for a player like Williamson could put this timeline on a new trajectory if they're willing to give up real assets for him.
Golden State is clearly desperate to not waste the final years of Curry's career. They're going to be in a vulnerable position as they make calls to see who might be available. It would be the perfect opportunity for the Pelicans to operate from a position of strength.
If New Orleans wants to make a formal pivot toward their younger talent while still keeping some of their chips on the table, this would certainly be a favorable situation to do so. There might never be a more opportune time to move Zion Williamson to a team that may have strong interest in him, and could potentially be able to make it worth the Pelicans' while.