The New Orleans Pelicans are approaching the February 5th trade deadline with the league's worst record at 10-35, and are starting to face serious questions about Zion Williamson's future.
With Williamson finally healthy, appearing in 18 straight games and averaging 22.5 points per game, having him on the roster no longer aligns with the Pelicans’ long-term direction, but there's no market for him. Or so we thought. Josh Robbins, who covers the Wizards for The Athletic, mentioned that Washington has assets that could satisfy the Pelicans' desires for the former No. 1 overall pick. Robbins stated that although the Wizards would likely not give up one of their own future first-round picks, they could part with a pick owed to them from another team.
Such as the least favorable of the Houston Rockets’ (top-four protected), LA Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round picks.
Some of the Wizards’ assets could satisfy the Pelicans in a potential trade for Zion Williamson, per @JoshuaBRobbins
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 20, 2026
“The Pelicans reportedly have told teamsthey’re not going to trade Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears. As it pertains to… pic.twitter.com/62NDFmanXU
If the Pelicans could acquire a future first-round pick from Washington for Williamson, they could fix two problems in one move.
Killing two birds with one stone
By trading Williamson to Washington, they would finally end a seven-year era marked by zero playoff series wins and a ton of overall disappointment. It would also clear the path for Derik Queen to be maximized. By trading Williamson, Queen could become the team's main post playmaker, post scorer, and the full-time offensive hub for this team. Not to mention it would also instantly improve spacing.
Acquiring a first-round pick for the 2026 draft would also give the fan base some sort of hope to latch onto heading into the offseason. I've already addressed how important it could be to get some draft capital in this draft, as it would not just bring in young talent to grow with the team's core, but could also help the Pels find a front-court talent to pair with Queen. The projected 2026 draft class has a massive amount of big man talent in the back half of the first round.
One other thing to mention from a logistical standpoint, for the Wizards to acquire Williamson, they have to use Khris Middleton and his $33+ million salary to match Z's contract in a trade. This would not just give the Pelicans another vet for the young players to lean on, but also an expiring salary, creating more flexibility for the summer.
Although it appears that Washington trading for another buy-low star player may be unlikely, if it did happen, the New Orleans Pelicans' future would benefit immensely.