Pelicans' Need to Trade Zion Williamson Is Becoming Clearer With Each Loss

The New Orleans Pelicans are making an obvious mistake by holding onto Zion Williamson.

Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans officially have the worst record in the NBA after losing two straight to fall to 9-33 for the season. Even though the team has shown improvement under James Borrego, especially on the offensive end, this hasn't produced too many wins. However, the front office doesn't seem too concerned, as recent reports suggest that the Pelicans are likely standing pat at the trade deadline.

The Pelicans are reportedly holding onto Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Zion Williamson until the end of the season. While the decision to keep Murphy is certainly defensible, not making Williamson and Jones available is an organizational malpractice. The need to trade Williamson is becoming more obvious with each passing day, yet the Pelicans continue to ignore all the signs.

Pelicans Can't Waste Any More Time Before Trading Zion Williamson

Williamson has been healthy and productive over the last month, not missing a single game since December 14. He has been scoring efficiently, and his individual stats are impressive. Yet, his fit continues to be questionable on the new-look Pelicans. This was made obvious once again in the Pelicans' last two losses.

The Pelicans had a lead entering the fourth quarter against the Magic and the Nuggets, but gave up big runs late to lose both games. This has been a concern all season as the Pels are 5-16 in the clutch. Only the Brooklyn Nets have a worse clutch record than New Orleans.

A big reason for this is the poor offensive fit. The Pelicans' offense looks best when Derik Queen and Trey Murphy are involved. The duo's chemistry has been remarkable all season. The Pelicans would benefit from putting as many shooters and off-ball players around the two. When Williamson is on the court but isn't involved in the action, however, the defenses don't guard him and can crowd the paint. He provides no spacing and little off-ball threat, making the Pelicans easier to guard.

With Williamson on the court, the Pelicans are actually a worse offensive team. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pels score one point per 100 possessions less with Zion on the court than when he is off.

Shooting is already a massive concern for the Pelicans. With Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen in the starting lineup, New Orleans needs to surround the two rookies with shooting to make up for their shortcomings. When Williamson is in there with them, the Pelicans become one of the worst shooting teams in the league.

It's not like Williamson provides much defensive value, either. While he is an improved defender, he is still not a rim protector and doesn't have the versatility to guard smaller players. This makes his defensive fit with Queen questionable, as well.

The Pelicans need to make the Fears-Murphy-Queen trio their future. Around that three, they need as many three-and-D players as possible. Williamson provides neither, making him an obvious odd man out.

Now that Williamson is healthy and playing well, there may not be a better time to trade the 25-year-old power forward. If the Pelicans wait too long, they may regret not making the move earlier when he still had some trade value.