New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson is expected to be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market in the 2022 NBA offseason. The Pelicans may not have shown any sign that they are planning to move Williamson but since last summer, rumors have been swirling around his future in New Orleans. The trade speculations surrounding Williamson heated up when some people, including former teammate JJ Redick, noticed that the former No. 1 overall pick doesn't look thrilled with the Pelicans' acquisition of CJ McCollum before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Zion Williamson To New York Knicks
If his unhappiness with the team grows, it won't be a surprise if Williamson demands a trade from the Pelicans in the 2022 NBA offseason. If he and the Pelicans decide to part ways, Kenneth Teape of NBA Analysis Network sees the New York Knicks as the top favorite trade destination for Williamson.
"The team that has been mentioned the most as his future employer is the New York Knicks. There is a lot of evidence pointing to them being a strong suitor for him. For starters, the franchise has deep CAA connections. Leon Rose is the Knicks president and William Wesley works closely with him. Both worked with CAA previously. Tom Thibodeau and numerous players on the team are represented by CAA. Williamson is a CAA client, so it is easy to connect the dots."Price Of Getting Zion Williamson
Even if Williamson specifically requested a trade to New York, the Knicks would still need to come up with an intriguing offer to convince the Pelicans to engage in a blockbuster deal next summer. With RJ Barrett likely untouchable in any type of deal, Tim van Straten of Sportscasting suggested that the Knicks could offer the Pelicans a trade package centered on Julius Randle. In the proposed trade scenario, the Knicks would be sending Randle, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and future draft picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Williamson.
Reunion With RJ Barrett & Cam Reddish
The proposed blockbuster deal would be worth exploring for the Knicks as it would allow them to reunite Williamson with two of his former Duke Blue Devils teammates, Barrett and Cam Reddish, in New York. Trading for Williamson indeed comes with a risk since he's still recovering from an injury. However, when he's 100 percent healthy, Williamson could provide a huge impact for the Knicks in the 2022-23 NBA season.
His potential arrival in New York is expected to boost the Knicks' performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a very reliable scoring option next to Barrett, a great rebounder, on-court facilitator, and defender. Last season, he averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the field.
Why The Pelicans Would Make The Trade
The Pelicans are only expected to consider such a trade if Williamson is determined to leave and other interested teams' offers aren't attractive. Instead of keeping a disgruntled superstar on their roster, the Pelicans would be able to turn him into an All-Star caliber big man in Randle, two young and promising players that they could develop in Quickley and Toppin, and multiple future draft assets.
Randle would serve as an immediate replacement for Williamson in the Pelicans' starting lineup, joining former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Brandon Ingram, McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, and Devonte Graham.
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