The New Orleans Pelicans are assessing their entire roster ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft as new general manager Joe Dumars tries to put the right pieces together with the No. 7 overall pick. And no player is off limits, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports,
That would mean Zion Williamson, too. Williamson averaged 24.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds this season over 30 games before missing the last several weeks with a back injury.
“There are no untouchables in New Orleans,” O’Connor wrote in his latest NBA Mock Draft. “League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster. They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer depending on what opportunities become available.”
This, as Williamson is named in a rape lawsuit alleging abuse that began during his time at Duke. Williamson’s attorney, Michael Balascio, labeled the allegations “categorically false and reckless” in a statement to The News & Observer. From Williamson’s camp, the relationship was consensual.
The Athletic’s William Guillory previously reported that it was “very unlikely” New Orleans would trade away its franchise player given how well he’s performed down the stretch, but pulling the plug now could be financially beneficial.
It’s not clear how Williamson’s legal battle could affect his trade value, but he’s on track to make nearly $40 million next season as part of five-year deal that was signed ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. According to ESPN, the non-guaranteed portion of Williamson’s salary becomes guaranteed if the Pelicans keep him on their roster after 5 p.m. ET on July 15.
Significant portions of Williamson’s contract are contingent upon him meeting weight and games-played parameters. Williamson has only played in 30 or more games twice since he was taken No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williamson started this season on the injured list with a hamstring situation and has battled conditioning issues for the duration of his career.
“It’s really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier,” one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN in December. “The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he’s healthy. I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.”
The Pelicans could also waive Williamson and be off the hook for $127 million over the final three years of his max contract extension, according to the New York Times.
Trey Murphy III is one Pelicans player with considerable trade value who would be the target of several franchises if New Orleans indeed makes no player “untouchable” this summer. Murphy averaged 21.2 points per game this season before tearing his labrum in March against the Detroit Pistons and missing the remainder of the campaign. It was a career-best season for the fourth-year pro out of Virginia.
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