An NBA writer suggested that the Utah Jazz should trade for Zion Williamson from the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a trade in which the Jazz would send John Collins, Walker Kessler, another young talent, and a substantial number of draft picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Williamson.
This season, Williamson played a career-high 70 games, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 57.0% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range, and 70.2% from the free-throw line.
The first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson, injured his hamstring during the 7-8 play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the 2024 playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Pelicans in the first round.
New Orleans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in July 2022, with Williamson set to earn $36.7 million next season.
“Apologies for the lack of specificity on this one. The Utah Jazz have a mountain of future draft picks, and the New Orleans Pelicans could get aggressive about how many they’d want for Zion Williamson (despite his robust injury history),” Bailey wrote. “But Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said the team is ready to go ‘big-game hunting’ this offseason. Making a run at Zion would certainly qualify.”
### Trade Proposal Sends Pelicans’ Zion Williamson to Jazz
One NBA writer suggested that the Utah Jazz should acquire Zion Williamson from the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a trade involving Zion Williamson for John Collins, Walker Kessler, another young talent, and a significant number of Utah’s draft picks.
This season, Williamson played a career-high 70 games, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 57.0% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range, and 70.2% from the free-throw line.
The first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson injured his hamstring during the 7-8 play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the 2024 playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Pelicans in the first round.
New Orleans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in July 2022, with Williamson set to make $36.7 million next season.
Bailey noted, “The Utah Jazz have a mountain of future draft picks, and the New Orleans Pelicans could get aggressive about how many they’d want for Zion Williamson (despite his robust injury history). But Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said the team is ready to go ‘big-game hunting’ this offseason. Making a run at Zion would certainly qualify.”
With Williamson’s dominance in the paint and Lauri Markkanen’s outside shooting, the duo could become one of the NBA’s more dynamic inside-out frontcourt combinations. If Keyonte George develops into a star playmaker, the Jazz could have the foundation of a contender.
Williamson, who turns 24 in July, has career averages of 24.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. A North Carolina native, he has played in only 184 games since being drafted.
“For the Pelicans, who already have their own fairly stout trove of draft assets, this deal would depend on their confidence in Zion’s health,” Bailey wrote. “Injuries have been a problem throughout his career, and though he played a career-high 70 games this season, he suffered a hamstring injury during the play-in tournament that sidelined him for the playoffs.”
New Orleans could insist on more incoming talent in this deal, but the picks (whether for actually drafting players or including in trades for different stars) would be more important.”
