The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t started the 2025-26 season the way they wanted to. A 2-15 start puts the Pels at the bottom of the Western Conference and is beginning to trigger conversations about Zion Williamson's future with the organization. Senior Writer at The Athletic and host of the Game Theory podcast, Sam Vecenie, was vocal about his feelings regarding Zion Williamson's future in New Orleans on the latest episode of his podcast.
Vecenie highlighted that Williamson's lackluster effort on defense is a reason for the front office to move on from him. He highlighted a specific play from the team's loss Friday night to the Dallas Mavericks, when, with 40 seconds to play and New Orleans up 115-113, Williamson barely made an effort to close out on a Naji Marshall three that ultimately cost the Pels the win.
That was uhh. That was some sort of closeout from Zion there in a big moment. What’s going on there. pic.twitter.com/mXgKjoBSfT
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) November 22, 2025
Questions about his engagement defensively and the emergence of another player in the Pelicans' front court suggest Williamson's time in the Big Easy could be coming to an end.
Derik Queen’s rise gives the Pelicans’ front office one choice.
Derik Queen has been off to an excellent start in his rookie season, which has caught Vecenie's eye, and is another reason he believes the front office should part ways with Williamson.
"“I think at some point here, it might not be by the deadline, it might not be till the summer, it might not be till next deadline, but at some point Zion Williamson is probably going to have to go in New Orleans in order to make room for Derik Queen.” "Sam Vecenie
While the offensive fit between Queen and Williamson has been a common fan discussion, Vecenie believes defense is the real issue. He highlighted that Queen and Williamson are both subpar defensively, and having them as a front court could make it impossible for the front office to build a competent defense.
This makes Queen the more obvious long-term building block. He’s already showing encouraging defensive flashes and is on a rookie-scale contract for the next four seasons.
You rarely see a rookie big play with Queen’s level of control and versatility. Through the opening stretch, he’s averaging 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, and he is doing that while also remaining engaged defensively.
The Pelicans front office has been struggling to find a real reason to move on from Zion Williamson for years, and Derik Queen may finally be the out they've been searching for. The impact he's had as a rookie has become hard to ignore, and with more people catching on, change could be coming.
Whether it happens this season or next, the Pelicans may soon be forced to make a choice. And for the first time, the answer no longer seems complicated.