Let’s Talk Zion Williamson Trade Rumors & Why Jazz Should Pursue Him

New trade rumors surrounding NBA stars are flying around the league this summer, with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. Most recently, we've seen the former Duke legend and current New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson’s name mentioned in these discussions.

After just four years in New Orleans, we could see Zion take off to another franchise this summer. After playing a combined 114 games across that period, the poor injury luck piled up could be too much for the Pelicans to want to deal with at this point, now potentially looking to ship him off for some fresh talent.

People around the league are monitoring Zion Williamson’s trade status before the draft, per @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/pHZizEnrFX
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 14, 2023

When Zion plays, he’s a clear difference-maker on the floor. He has career averages of 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with some elite defensive ability and otherworldly athleticism. Combine this with his 1st-overall pick status less than five years ago; talent is here waiting to be unleashed.

Despite this, his future in NOLA looks extremely foggy at this point.

Some clear landing spots would make some sense if these trade rumors persist. The Portland Trail Blazers or Charlotte Hornets make a lot of sense if the Pelicans wanted to jump up to draft Scoot Henderson, as previously reported. Large markets like the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, or the Houston Rockets could also be in the mix. I really wouldn’t even be shocked if we saw media members try to predict him onto the Lakers.

However, none of those teams offer the complete package of what the Utah Jazz could bring.

Before you start writing your Facebook comments on why this would be horrible for the Jazz and why I should lose my job for even proposing such a trade, hear me out a bit.

Of course, there are some outlying concerns surrounding the former number-one pick. If there wasn’t, we probably wouldn’t be discussing a potential trade right now. Among these concerns are overwhelming health problems, some lingering questions about his weight, and even some about his ability to shoot the ball at high efficiency when able to play.

However, if these are concerns that cause some hesitancy to bring him onto the team as a Jazz fan, I ask: what’s the alternative this offseason?

- Is there a better potential franchise changer at the 9th overall pick than Zion Williamson could be?

- Is Lauri Markkanen truly the long-term number-one option for the Jazz? Is that a recipe for sustainable success?

- Is there another realistic opportunity to acquire a better potential player and fit than Zion could bring to the franchise (other than maybe trading into the top three picks)?

If you answered yes to any of these options... you may be fooling yourself.

Of course, Zion is far from a perfect player. There’s some obvious risk attached to trading for him. However, the Jazz have positioned themselves to take some risks in this rebuild with all the assets and wiggle room they’ve given themselves, some of which could be of interest to New Orleans.

While Zion’s value is up in the air, the Jazz have a variety of directions they could go in trade discussions. Want some young talent? The Jazz have it. Draft picks? Absolutely got some of those two. Expiring contracts? Sure thing!

As long as Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, or an absolute haul of draft picks aren’t involved in the deal, Danny Ainge and the rest of the front office should have all hands on deck for this.

Like honestly, does Zion need to be on a team surrounded by extreme media pressure and title expectations at this point in his career, such as with the Knicks or the Rockets? I would argue his career could benefit from the exact opposite of that.

Please, put him on the Trail Blazers to try and compete with Damian Lillard. I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic with Portland’s front office when his long-desired co-star appears in 35 regular-season games.

Instead, playing with the Jazz allows him to play with house money. He can get healthy, develop as a player, and find where he fits best on a Jazz team who don’t have a set identity at this point. Worst-case scenario? Zion gets hurt again, and the Jazz can build to their young core with a high draft pick in 2024. The best-case scenario? Utah can be a top-six seed in the conference if all goes well.

Zion Williamson has the chance to be a franchise changer for the Jazz. For the right price, he could take this rebuild to the next level overnight. Sometimes, the biggest risks a franchise can make end up with the best return, and Utah can do that by making a move like this.

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