A blockbuster trade proposal has the New Orleans Pelicans trading franchise star Zion Williamson to a middling team in a move that would shake up the NBA playoff race.
Zion Williamson’s name has been brought up time and time again in trade rumors over the last two years, and it only feels like a matter of time until the No. 1 pick of 2019 gets moved.
Unfortunately, a string of injuries have limited Williamson to 190 games since his rookie year. He missed all of 2021-22 with a foot injury, played just 29 games in 2022-23 and has been limited to six game appearances this season.
New Orleans sits in the Western Conference basement with a 7-29 record, and they’d be better off trading Williamson to commence a full-scale rebuild. If he hits the trade block, there’d be no shortage of interested teams.
Ishaan Bhattacharya of Fadeaway World proposed a blockbuster trade idea that has New Orleans trading Zion Williamson to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vučević, Patrick Williams and first-round picks in 2025 and 2027:
“If Zion is healthy and capable of playing, the Bulls would become a major threat in the East and will have good reason to hold onto the unattractive contract extension they handed Zach LaVine, as his perimeter scoring would be crucial in making this work. He’ll pack out the house, make iconic highlights, and with any luck, stay healthy for a whole season…
Zion is a superstar talent, but what he’s put the Pelicans through cannot be worth it. With this season all but slipping away from them, it might be a good time to consolidate for future assets by acquiring Zion and two future picks. These could come in handy if the team is unable to find a trade suitor for Brandon Ingram and he walks as a free agent next summer.”
Would you want the Chicago Bulls to trade for Zion Williamson? pic.twitter.com/WFOcevcr6V
— ChicagoBullsCentral (@BullsCentraI) December 31, 2024
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The Bulls (17-19) currently hold the final play-in berth in the Eastern Conference. But this team is stuck in the mushy middle, meaning they’re good enough to make the playoffs but just not good enough to compete for a championship.
They’re also not bad enough to bottom out and secure lottery picks. In Bhattacharya’s proposal, the Bulls would have a core led by Williamson, veteran star guard Zach LaVine and Coby White.
Bulls Should Make A Run At Zion Williamson
The Bulls have just one winning season (2021-22) since 2016-17, and they haven’t won a playoff series since 2014-15. If they could land a star like Williamson, however, Chicago would be well-positioned to make several playoff runs over the long run.
Bulls fans deserve something to be optimistic about. Pairing LaVine and White with Williamson would go a long way in doing so and helping Chicago return to relevance in the East.
