NBA Trade Idea Pairs $197 Million All-Star With Zion Williamson

The New Orleans Pelicans give Zion Williamson another star teammate in this trade proposal

Dec 15, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) walks to the bench during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA offseason has seen a couple of stars get traded, headlined by Kevin Durant getting sent to the Houston Rockets, but it has ultimately been a quiet summer for the league's best players.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the handful of teams that have made multiple key trades. The Pelicans started their offseason by trading CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, as they get younger and arguably more talented.

Then, on draft night, they traded up to add another young talent in Derik Queen, gearing up to have a new-look team for the 2025-26 season.

Pels depth chart:

PG: Poole / Jeremiah Fears / Alvarado
SG: Trey Murphy / Jordan Hawkins
SF: Herb Jones / Saddiq Bey
PF: Zion / Karlo Matkovic
C: Yves Missi / Derik Queen / Looney

Fantastic guard room, especially when Dejounte comes back. Super thin in the frontcourt, though. pic.twitter.com/XeNYvEFHT8

— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) August 21, 2025

The Pelicans have a very intriguing roster, as they are finally looking to capitalize on star forward Zion Williamson by surrounding him with talent. However, there is still room to add a legitimate All-Star alongside the former first-overall pick.

Pelicans add All-Star point guard in mock trade

The Pelicans could certainly get into the 2025-26 season and find out that they still need to make a big change, and they could turn to the top Eastern Conference team with a trade proposal. Fantasy Sports On SI's Ethan Hutton put together a mock trade that sends Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland to New Orleans.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Dejounte Murray, Derik Queen, 2029 first-round pick 

New Orleans Pelicans receive: Darius Garland 

Apr 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates after making a three-point basket in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Garland, a two-time NBA All-Star, played a huge role in Cleveland's path to a 64-win 2024-25 season, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with 47.2/40.1/87.8 shooting splits. The shifty point guard with three-level scoring ability continues to improve and is an ideal point guard to pair with Williamson.

Garland is recovering from toe surgery, which could sideline him for the beginning of the 2025-26 season, putting him in a similar situation as Dejounte Murray, who the Cavaliers would get in return for their star guard.

Murray suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon last season, but is an elite, All-Star-caliber guard when healthy. As the Cavaliers look for the ideal backcourt mate for Donovan Mitchell, they could be interested in replacing Garland with Murray, who is much more of a defensive presence, while still being a high-level talent on offense.

6 MONTHS AND THIS SH*T FEEL LIGHT!!! 😁 I Catch Back Up With Y’all In A Few!!! 😤😈 #DM5🖤 pic.twitter.com/PuThC0u386

— Dejounte Murray (@DejounteMurray) August 20, 2025

In this deal, the Pelicans would also give up Derik Queen, whom they just traded up to select in this summer's draft. Of course, he is a flawed prospect, and could be worth giving up on early if it means bringing in Garland.

Why the Pelicans wouldn't do this

Of course, the biggest concern around Garland is his contract, as he is entering the third season of a five-year, $197.2 million deal. Garland is set to make the same amount of money as Williamson over the next three years.

Another concern for the Pelicans in this deal is that they would practically be forced to move Poole to a sixth-man role, except he is set to make $31.8 million next season, making that an absurd price tag for a bench player. However, adding Garland would only work for New Orleans if they start Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III alongside him, meaning Poole would be pushed to the second unit.

There are certainly a few issues with this mock trade, but the idea of pairing Williamson with Garland should be very enticing for the Pelicans.