The New Orleans Pelicans ‘playoff dream’ for the 2024-25 season is dead. Their new aspiration? An overhaul. And their most valuable asset? Zion Williamson. With a 5-22 record, they now sit at the bottom of the Western Conference. In all honesty, New Orleans has probably had enough of Zion. Once touted as the ‘next big thing’, the hoopster has always been injured, touching the 70-game mark just once. The face of the franchise has spent most days on the bench. Injuries have been another big problem for the Pels this season.

Key players like Brandon Ingram, Zion, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray are all sidelined. The team is at a crossroads, with rumors swirling that nearly every player—except Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Trey Murphy III—is available for trade. “Word is that the Pelicans are essentially open to trade pitches for pretty much anyone else on the roster apart from those three,” per Marc Stein.

Zion’s hamstring injury sidelined him again, a familiar story in his career. Since the 2019 draft, Zion has played in fewer than half of the Pels’ games. He has missed 211 out of a possible 401 regular-season games! They’ve always shut down talks of letting Zion leave… But with him on the market, they’d want something ridiculous in return, wouldn’t they?

Injuries, from a meniscus tear to a Jones fracture, have caused him to miss an unbelievable amount of game time, making his contract non-guaranteed now! Well, he has failed to meet the fitness standards and fans have been in a frenzy since this ‘trade’ info came out.

Fans believe an offer for Zion Williamson, which will blow them away, will NEVER come

One fan wrote, “Not a single GM will give them an offer if ‘blown away’ is the standard.” Zion Williamson is undeniably talented, but his injury history raises serious red flags. Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019, Zion has missed a significant amount of playing time. This includes multiple knee surgeries and a hamstring injury that has limited his time on the court.

When you factor in the longevity concerns around his ability to stay healthy, GMs around the league would likely approach any trade talks with caution. Why would a team sacrifice a bunch of youngsters and future draft picks for a talisman who’s rarely present?

“So a protected first and two seconds is a blown away offer *shocked emoji* *laughing emoji*????,” tweeted a netizen. Given his injury history, any NBA team would likely be hesitant to commit a full, unprotected first-round pick for him. A protected first-rounder would assure teams they’re not blindly committing to a high pick if Zion misses extended time, again.

The Pels might be underestimating the league’s cautious approach to such a high-risk, high-reward player like Zion. The problem is- has he wrongly tipped that threshold as well? Considering LeBron’s retirement approaching in a year or two, could the Lakers possibly be considering a swoop? Bear in mind that Zion is majorly considered a non-shooter. Given JJ Redick’s ambitions, however, the LA side might stay away from this deal but never say never.

The New Orleans Pelicans expected Zion, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, to revolutionize the team and immediately become a franchise cornerstone. “Biggest bust in nba. overhyped and forgotten,” wrote another user. While calling him the “biggest bust” may be an exaggeration, it’s understandable to some degree given the expectations that surrounded Zion when he entered the NBA.

Many regarded him as a once-in-a-generation talent, comparing him to players like LeBron James because of his size, athleticism, and scoring ability. His rookie year showed flashes of that potential, with Zion averaging 22.5 points on 58.3% shooting over just 24 games, leading to excitement about his future. However, since then, injuries have plagued him, limiting his impact and leaving many to wonder whether he will ever reach his potential.

“Pelicans need they take what they can get for him,” a fan passed this judgment.

The Pelicans need to move on from Williamson, even if it means accepting less-than-ideal value in return. Zion has played in less than 50% of New Orleans’ games, which is a major concern for a team that invested heavily in him. Teams are likely to be cautious, and waiting too long could lead to his value plummeting further if the injuries continue. The Brooklyn Nets might relate to this…

Another fan wrote, “This is not slightly the first time. They just realized how bad the offers were.” The Pelicans have long been aware of Williamson’s lackluster trade value but are now facing the reality that offers for him are underwhelming. They may have held out hope that Zion would bounce back. But it has embarrassingly never happened. Now they reportedly want a blockbuster deal. Even then, teams like the Nets and Hawks are being linked because they have a trade package ready with a few first-rounders to offload.

So, where do you think could be Zion’s next destination?