With the trade deadline approaching, the New Orleans Pelicans' stance on Zion Williamson has become clearer. Senior NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Williamson is one of the front office’s five untouchable players, making it appear that the former No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft will remain with the team past the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
This is a stance from the Pelicans that I’ve been very open about disagreeing with, as it is now year seven of Zion Williamson in New Orleans and has resulted in two playoff appearances, both of which Williamson missed due to injury. Pair that with the current state of the team—sitting dead last in the West at 9–32—and it makes even more sense to sell off the former All-Star forward.
If the Pelicans were to alter their plans regarding Williamson, there is one team I believe could be a match made in heaven: the Phoenix Suns.
Why Phoenix could be the perfect landing spot for Zion
The Phoenix Suns have done an incredible job this season recovering from the Kevin Durant trade, sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a 24-15 record.
Dillon Brooks has been phenomenal this season and continues to prove the narrative that he can be a real culture shifter. Brooks was one of the two big-name players brought over in the Durant deal with Houston this summer, the other being Jalen Green. While Green was good in the two games he appeared in for the Suns, he continues to battle a hamstring injury that could make him someone Phoenix looks to move at the deadline.
This season, we've seen Collin Gillespie, Jamaree Bouyea, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams all become real rotational pieces for the Suns after being written off by most of the league. This has become part of this team's identity as they find players no one else values and find a role where they can maximize them. So who's to say they wouldn't be interested in doing the same with Zion Williamson, especially if it's not taking away from anyone who's actively playing.
Essentially, the Suns are plugging in 22.8 points per game with Williamson for someone who isn't playing in Green, and someone averaging 5.3 points per game in Oso Ighodaro. Acquiring Williamson at this low of a price tag would give them a true third scoring option to have alongside Brooks and Devin Booker and raise their ranking as far as Western Conference contenders go.
Why the Pelicans do it:
No. 1: It helps fully usher in the new era of Pelicans basketball centered around Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, and Derik Queen.
No. 2: Taking a swing on a former second overall pick in Jalen Green is a low-risk, high-reward move.
No. 3: Oso Ighodaro is the perfect front-court player to pair with Derik Queen, as he excels as a rim protector, is highly positionally aware, and is a very solid rebounder and screener, all of which would complement DQ.
No. 4: Getting any draft capital in the 2026 class is a win, as the Pelicans don't own any at this point.
A Zion Williamson-for-Jalen Green swap could be extremely beneficial for both sides, although the Pelicans would certainly be giving up more value than they are receiving. That’s just the new reality of trading a star that teams no longer value highly in today’s NBA, and the Trae Young trade saga was living proof of that.