The future of Zion Williamson with the Pelicans is far from certain. The superstar forward could potentially be cut from the team entering the 2025-26 season due to certain clauses in his contract.
If the Pelicans intend to move on from Williamson, Hall of Famer Paul Pierce believes the Knicks should pounce on the opportunity of acquiring the Duke alum.
“If I’m the Knicks, I’m tryna get him [Zion]. Right now,” Pierce said on “The Ticket and the Truth” podcast. “You got a lot of cats expendable.”
When asked to name the “expendable” players on the Knicks roster, Pierce named Josh Hart — the heart and soul of Tom Thibodeau’s team. The suggestion didn’t sit well with his co-host Kevin Garnett or even scores of Knicks fans on social media.
Paul Pierce on @kg_certified:
“If I’m the Knicks I’m trying to get Zion Williamson right now. They got a lot of cats expendable, they could get rid of Josh Hart, (and) what’s the shooter’s name?”
THE KNICKS AREN’T TRADING JOSH HART! 🤦♂️
During the same conversation, Pierce also floated the idea of the 76ers and Pelicans swapping Joel Embiid for Williamson.
“Ooh, I got one. Zion for Joel Embiid,” Pierce said. “I’mma pair him with [Tyrese] Maxey, the two young guys. They’re the same age,”
Will Pelicans Trade Zion Williamson?
As of January 15, there was no indication from the Pelicans camp of the franchise making Williamson, their fifth-year star, available in trade talks.
However, ESPN’s Stephen A Smith suggested that Williamson preferred a trade out of New Orleans and was unhappy with the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2019.
“Zion doesn’t want to be in New Orleans, he doesn’t want to be there,” Smith told ESPN’s First Take, via Sports Illustrated. “He wants to be in a major market like LA, New York, or whatever, because he wants the marketability.”
“You look at Zion Williamson right now, it’s becoming a joke,” Smith continued. “You know that this brother has got superstar written all over him as a talent, but he doesn’t appear to care enough about being a professional and he certainly, I don’t believe, wants to be in New Orleans. I think he wants out, I think that’s what this is all about and I think he’d rather be someplace else. But why should anybody want him if this is what you’re going to get?”
Does Zion Have Any Trade Value?
It’s worth noting that despite his otherworldly talents, Williamson has not lived up to his potential since entering the NBA. While injuries have played a part in his diminishing value, Williamson has been the subject of many unflattering claims from people within the Pelicans organization and others around the young star.
Furthermore, Williamson was suspended for the January 10 game against the 76ers for a “violation of team policies” and his lack of tardiness. Besides being late for a flight, Williamson has been late for “multiple practices this season,” per Chris Haynes.
In the aftermath of the reports, ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe questioned Williamson’s professionalism and drive to be great, wondering if any other team in the league would want to inherit his talents.
“The problem is, guys like Shannon Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaq, and others care more about Zion’s career than Zion cares about it,” Sharpe said on ESPN’s First Take. “And as I used to tell my kids all the time, Molly, ‘I can’t want something for you more than you want it for yourself.”
“Until Zion wants this for himself, we’re going to have this same conversation again.”
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NBA Legend Urges Knicks to Trade for Zion Williamson