One of the most prevalent topics of discussion in the basketball world in recent weeks has been what will happen between the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson. Williamson remains away from the team as he rehabs his foot, as he has missed every game thus far this NBA season.
Injuries have been an issue for him since he entered the NBA, playing in only 85 games despite this being his third season with the Pelicans. There has been a lot of discussion about his future with the team and how disconnected he is from the organization.
Despite not having him in the lineup, the Pelicans are beginning to create some momentum. They are on a three-game winning streak and moving up the standings, currently sitting in the 10th spot in the Western Conference, which is the last position that will qualify for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The team is currently being led by Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum and getting excellent contributions from players such as Jonas Valanciuas and Herb Jones. While they would like to get Williamson in the lineup, their current roster is proving they can get the job done without him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executive Expects Zion Williamson To End Up With Knicks
If Williamson doesn’t want to be a part of this group, the organization could consider parting ways with him at some point. There is no reason to keep him if he and the team cannot get on the same page and will end up asking for a trade down the road. Also, his trade value isn’t going to improve if he cannot stay healthy.
If the team moves on, the New York Knicks are where a lot of people believe he will end up. Former ESPN analyst Amin Elhassan believes Williamson is destined to be a Knick.
“The real story they’re trying to hide from us isn’t ‘Zion isn’t going so well in New Orleans’ and isn’t ‘Zion is unhappy in New Orleans,’” Elhassan said on Basketball Illuminati. “The story they’re trying to hide from you is ‘Zion is destined to be a New York Knickerbocker.’”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executive Expects Zion Williamson To End Up With Knicks
“Zion Williamson is represented by CAA (Creative Artists Agency),” Elhassan said. “Out in New York, you got Leon Rose, formerly of CAA. He’s the president of basketball ops. He’s assisted by William Wesley, also a former CAA person. Their head coach, Tom Thibodeau, is a CAA client as well. Look through their roster at the number of CAA players they have. That’s just the bare, basic, formulaic level at the top of how this franchise is so heavily influenced by this agency that desperately wants to move this client to a bigger platform.
The connection to the New York Knicks is an easy one to make. Not only do they have numerous connections to CAA, but they also have two of Williamson’s teammates from Duke on their team in RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executive Expects Zion Williamson To End Up With Knicks
Barrett was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, while Reddish was selected No. 10 overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks acquired him in a trade from Atlanta earlier this season, sending Kevin Knox II and a future first-round pick via the Charlotte Hornets to the Hawks.
In addition to those draws, there is also monetary motivation to Williamson get traded as soon as possible. If he is dealt during his rookie season, he will still be eligible for a supermax contract with the acquiring team, something that will not happen should he sign a rookie extension with the Pelicans and be traded during that contract.
“If Zion were to sign his [rookie] extension in New Orleans, and then two years from now say, ‘I don’t like it in New Orleans, get me out of here,’ they could trade him. He’ll go somewhere else and they can give him a max deal and a fifth year. But what [his new team] can’t do is give him the supermax if he’s eligible for it. He can’t get to that 35% sooner than 10 years if he gets traded two years from now. But if he gets traded now within the first four years of his career, he’s eligible for that 35% down the road without having to play 10 years.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executive Expects Zion Williamson To End Up With Knicks
Based on everything that Elhassan has said, it seems likely that Williamson will push for a deal this offseason. It will be the last opportunity for him to ensure he is eligible to sign a supermax worth 35 percent more without hitting the 10-year mark when it would normally kick in.
While there are a lot of connections to the New York Knicks, there are other teams that will get involved in the bidding and provide competitive offers to acquire Williamson themselves.
