Offseason trade proposal sends Zion Williamson to Pistons

One NBA analyst proposed that the Detroit Pistons trade for New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson this offseason. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Pistons and Pelicans: 

Detroit Pistons receive: Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans receive: Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, Bobi Klintman and a future first-round pick

“Why the Pistons do it: It’s obvious Cade Cunningham needs a co-star, but it’s also unclear how good the Pistons could become after adding one,” Buckley wrote. “Doing a discounted deal for Williamson to account for his availability issues might be the right middle ground. If Detroit keeps him upright, it would suddenly have one of the league’s top tandems. If it doesn’t, it has enough assets left over to return to the trade market.”

Williamson appeared in 30 games for the Pelicans this season. He averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 56.7% from the field and 65.6% from the free-throw line. 

A two-time All-Star, Williamson was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games. 

The Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in 2022. Williamson will make $39,446,090 next season, $42,166,510 in 2026-27 and $44,886,930 in 2027-28, the final season of his contract. 

“Why the Pelicans do it: Yes, injury issues torpedoed their season, but why should anyone expect anything different with this team? New Orleans could be tired of waiting and hoping for better results with Williamson, and this trade package would offer a relatively easy out,” Buckley wrote. “There may not be a top-shelf asset in the mix, but Harris is a solid starter, Holland and Klintman are tools-y early-20-somethings and the pick would be from a franchise that missed the playoffs each of the past five seasons.”

The Pistons clinched a playoff spot this season for the first time since 2019. 

Meanwhile, the Pelicans have the second-worst record in the West.