On Friday morning, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst wrote that, despite the structure of Zion Williamson's non-guaranteed contract, his trade value "isn't super high." A rival executive echoed the same sentiment, stating that the New Orleans Pelicans' best course of action could be a "win-now trade," rather than a Zion trade.
Should the Pelicans keep Zion and make another trade to improve their chances of winning? That's the question.
New Orleans can't tank for a top pick in the 2026 draft, thanks to the front office's decision to send their pick to the Hawks. The Pelicans also sent the Pacers back their 2026 top-four protected first-round pick in June, before Tyrese Haliburton got hurt.
In short, there is zero incentive for New Orleans to lose, and even if the Pelicans were in a position where they could purposefully tank, as last year's lottery proved yet again, that might not have worked in their favor.
New Orleans is riding the high of a two-game win streak. You might believe that a win streak needs to consist of at least three games, but for the Pelicans, winning two games in a row is impressive. What's even more impressive is that both wins happened without Zion, who is out with a left hamstring strain.
A Zion Williamson-Pelicans trade isn't as simple as you think
New Orleans could listen to offers for Williamson before the Feb. 5 deadline, but if he can't get back on the floor and stay there, his value won't go up. The Pelicans should want to receive a good haul for the former No. 1 pick, but doing so grows more impossible by the day.
They could keep him around for the entirety of the season, and instead, make another move before the deadline that boosts their odds of doing something in the Western Conference. They could always try to do both, trading Zion and making a win-now trade. If New Orleans thinks it can get a win-now player in a trade for Zion, though, it has another thing coming.
We're not even three weeks into the start of the 2025-26 regular season, so it's too early to say outright what the Pelicans should do before the deadline. It's still three months away. What we do now is that Zion's trade value is low (which is no surprise), and New Orleans needs to do whatever it can to win.
Perhaps Zion will surprise many people and return to the lineup, stay healthy, and help the Pelicans win games. Crazier things have happened. That would erase the Zion dilemma that New Orleans is currently facing.