Sunday evening's win over the Chicago Bulls was a big one for the New Orleans Pelicans, as not only was it their second straight win, but it also featured an incredible 20-point performance from Jeremiah Fears. From the Bulls' perspective, they clearly have their long-term point guard in Josh Giddey, but relying on Coby White as a go-to scorer has a low ceiling.
This started to make the wheels in my head work overtime and made me think back to a rumor I read at the start of December. The rumor basically said that the Bulls felt like Giddey was their Tyrese Haliburton, and they are now searching for their Pascal Siakam. From my perspective, Chicago is overestimating the Haliburton–Giddey comparison, but that belief could open the door for the Pelicans to exploit the situation.
Zion Williamson and Siakam can bring a lot of the same things as elite downhill scorers who are imposing threats in the paint. While Siakam does bring more as a playmaker and defender, if the Bulls front office is naive enough to think Giddey and Haliburton are equals, who's to say they wouldn't feel the same way about Williamson and Siakam?
Chicago now gives the Pelicans a perfect out
A recent rumor suggested that the Pelicans front office is ready to trade Williamson for the first decent offer they can get, and Chicago can make more than a decent offer. The Bulls have seven different players all on expiring contracts, which, in my opinion, should be what the Pelicans are looking for in a Williamson trade.
If the Pelicans can get a combination of Kevin Huerter (expiring), Zach Collins (expiring), Jevon Carter (expiring), a first-round pick, and maybe a few second-round picks for Williamson, they should take it.
Cap relief and draft capital should be the front office's main focus of any trade they make this season, as with Fears, Derik Queen, and Trey Murphy III looking like the future contention is still a ways away. Having cap relief gives the team more wiggle room in trades and could make them ideal trade suitors for teams looking to offload big contracts attached to draft capital.
With all signs pointing to the Pelicans moving on from Zion Williamson and focusing on a future around their rookies and Trey Murphy III, the Chicago Bulls could be a perfect suitor. Their rumored desire to find a pick-and-roll threat to pair with Josh Giddey suggests Williamson could be a prime target for them as trade season approaches.