ESPN Writer Suggests Pelicans Make a Bold Move and Cut Zion Williamson

Stephen Douglas | 3 Hours Ago

Zion Williamson in street clothes. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a 4-13 start as the team deals with a litany of injuries. Among those injured players is Zion Williamson who missed the season-opener then played in six out of eight games and hasn't been in the lineup since November 6th. A recent report from Shams Charania made it sound like he won't be back anytime soon.

So what do the Pelicans do with an injured star? ESPN's Tim MacMahon had a suggestion on the latest episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast and it's kind of shocking to hear someone say out loud.

"Scenario A, the preferable scenario, is trade him and get value for him," said MacMahon. "I think that's going to be extremely difficult to do given his injury history, given the fact that he looked far less explosive than he had been in the past in the little bit that he played this year. If you look at his rim-finishing numbers they are mediocre. He's a mediocre rim finisher. And also given the fact that he is a perennial first-team all-IAS guy. It's Always Something. Always something with him. And very rarely is it having anything to do with basketball."

As MacMahon explained that Williamson's contract was made to be cuttable, Tim Bontemps interrupted to say that he understood where his colleague was coming from, but it was "a lot of discussion about something that's not going to happen."

That is likely the truth. NBA teams are generally not in the business of cutting guys of Williamson's stature.

Williamson played a career-high 70 games last season and was great in the Pelicans' first play-in game... until he got hurt. And that's the story of his career. He missed 206 games in his first five seasons while he appeared in 184. No matter how much the Pelicans have paid him, they've mostly been paying him to watch.

Cutting him would be a bold move, but it might be the right move.

---

More of the Latest Around the NBA

feed