NBA Mock Trade: Rockets Trade for Pelicans’ Superstar
With the NBA trade deadline approaching in February, it feels like the calm before the storm for various teams.
So far, the Rockets have reportedly been reluctant to even consider including their young core of players in deals. But the front office is certainly still doing its due diligence on how to upgrade the roster. And while the future of the team's core is tantalizing, packaging a few together in order to land a big fish on the market is, too.
As it stands now, the Pelicans sit at 8-32, good for the second-worst record in the entire league, and worst in the West. Worst of all, while forward Zion Williamson has returned to the lineup from injury, he’s still missed a vast majority of the team’s games so far this season.
While immensely talented in his own right, Williamson’s lack of availability has certainly taken its toll on the team’s record in recent years. And with the organization primed to take home a potential three to five pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft, now could be the time to officially sell on the forward’s talents.
While Houston hasn’t shown the indication that they’ll consolidate the roster and go after a big star just yet, that could very well be the case, if one comes available. And while Williamson has missed significant time so far in his career, he's still one of the most dynamic players on Earth, when healthy.
Here, we’ll look at what a potential deal between Houston and New Orleans could look like:
Houston Rockets get: Zion Williamson, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Daniel Theis
New Orleans Pelicans get: Dillon Brooks, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, 2025 Rockets FRP, 2027 Rockets FRP, 2027 Suns FRP, 2029 Suns FRP, 2029 Rockets Swap, 2031 Rockets Swap
In this deal, Houston gets its superstar by consolidating the likes of Brooks — who is needed for money purposes — along with young up-and-coming players in Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore. For a player of Williamson’s magnitude early in his deal, four future firsts and two swaps is a likely price.
Williamson would immediately slot in as the starting power forward alongside Alperen Sengun in the front court, creating a highly dynamic duo with Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson filling out the rest of the starting five. In reserve would be Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Steven Adams, Aaron Holiday and more.
The combination of Williamson’s athleticism and Sengun’s skill on the interior would be hard for most teams to contend with, and scoring threats and stingy defenders fill out the rest of the rotation.
The Rockets are obviously gambling on a clean bill of health for Williamson, but one that could pay massive dividends if he can stay on-court.
The Pelicans add Sheppard and Whitmore to its already-solid young core, as well as a host of draft picks that it could use down the road, or to add even more talent across the league. Brooks is added as a flipper for another contending team.
While the deal is ultimately a long shot on a few fronts, it never hurts to evaluate what a superstar consolidation trade could look like for Houston, and if it would be worth it to sacrifice the young core, which in this case it might not be.
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