Is Pelicans Keystone in the Clear After Offseason Trade Rumors?

At some point last offseason, it felt like there was a real chance the New Orleans Pelicans might trade star forward Zion Williamson.

The first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson was pegged as the next face of the franchise after they finally decided to part ways with Anthony Davis. An extremely athletic forward at 280-plus pounds, he walked into the league as a walking highlight reel. That he also had real guard skills only made his projection as the Pelicans’ keystone more reasonable.

Yet, as it often happens, reality hasn’t been as dreamy as the fantasy.

Is Zion Williamson in the Clear After Offseason Trade Rumors?

Until the 2023-24 season, Williamson averaged 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 stocks per game. All but unstoppable in the paint, he shot 60.5 percent from the field and 61.4 percent inside the arc. However, he played in just 114 of 328 possible games due to injury and fewer than 30 games in all of them. A fair number of games he missed might had been avoided if he was more disciplined with his nutritional habits.

This set the scene for the Pelicans to at least listen to offers for Williamson, even if they weren’t exactly shopping him.

Nearly a year later and New Orleans is singing a very different tune in The Big Easy. After playing a career-high 70 games last season, Williamson’s “place as the face of the franchise is more secure than it was last summer, when he was at the forefront of trade rumors leading into the 2023 NBA Draft” (per The Athletic’s William Guillory).

Guillory adds that Williamson “was never included in any official trade offers” but that “the lack of urgency to quell rumors involving him indicated a disconnect at some level.”

The Big Moment

Williamson entered the season as the butt of jokes.

This was largely because faced criticism about his continued inability to properly manage his diet. To some extent, this was fair. Williamson’s fluctuating weight was affecting his health, availability, and defensive performance. However, it began to take an ugly turn as attacks got progressively personal.

Yet, in spite of this, Williamson put his head down and refrained from addressing it. In an age where professional athletes want to control the narratives surrounding their names, he went against the grain. Perhaps it was because there was nothing to really argue against. Maybe Williamson relented, hoping to avoid stoking the flames. Whatever the reason, there was all but radio silence on his end.

That said, he didn’t do much to improve the concerns about him either. At least not initially. Although he worked on his conditioning in the offseason, it wasn’t until after the Pelicans were trounced by the Los Angeles Lakers in the inaugural In-Season Tournament that Williamson started to take everything more seriously.

“That was definitely a big moment for me, because I didn’t look at anybody else. I looked at myself,” Williamson says.

“I’ll take full blame for that. I wasn’t where I needed to be. I didn’t perform the way I needed to perform. I think it was just one of those things I needed to experience. It definitely changed a lot for me during the season.”

Afterwards, Williamson began to buy into the mantra of “stacking days.” On and off the court, he began to display real leadership qualities. Subsequently, the Pelicans were “impressed by the progress Williamson made with his mental and physical state prior to his latest hamstring injury.”

“He was in the best shape of his pro career. He was present with his teammates after so often operating away from the group in years past. He was vocal during crucial moments as he embraced taking on more of a leadership role. Despite being injured during the playoffs, he frequently gave instructions animatedly to teammates from the bench during timeouts and picking them up during tough stretches.”

Keep Stacking Days

Williamson’s now on the right path. He needs to keep “stacking days,” taking the small steps necessary to complete a long journey. If it all goes right, that’ll keep him in New Orleans until he retires.

Yet, playing at least 30 games in just two out of five seasons isn’t enough for him to cement his status as the face of the franchise. Especially when he’s missed the only two playoff appearances that the Pelicans have had in those five years. With that said, the jury is still out on the two-time All-Star.