NBA trade proposal sends Pelicans’ Zion Williamson to Bulls

Sometimes, you have to wonder if the face of your franchise is actually the guy who will lead you to great things.

That’s where the Pelicans find themselves with Zion Williamson.

Williamson arrived as a franchise-changer. When he plays, you see it. When he doesn’t, everything else has to work around the absence. Over time, the Pelicans have quietly learned how to function without him being the centerpiece. That tends to matter.

With New Orleans drifting toward the bottom of the West and another uneven season unfolding, it’s fair to wonder whether a reset eventually makes sense. One team that could talk itself into taking the swing is the Bulls.

The hypothetical framework, as presented by James Piercey of Dallas Hoops Journal.

Bulls receive

• Zion Williamson

Pelicans receive

• Nikola Vucevic
• Coby White
• 2027 first-round pick (Chicago)

Why Pelicans consider it

This isn’t about selling low. It’s about reading the room.

New Orleans already pushed chips in on draft night by acquiring Derik Queen, and early signs suggest that gamble has legs. Trey Murphy III has emerged as a reliable scorer. The offense no longer depends on Zion to function.

That reality showed again in a recent loss to Denver, where Williamson had a favorable matchup and still struggled to impose himself. It happens. But it also adds to a larger pattern.

White gives them another ball-handler who fits modern lineups. Vucevic is mostly salary and flexibility. The real value is the first-round pick, which restores draft capital and optionality.

It’s a pivot, not a teardown.

Why Bulls do it

The Bulls have been stuck chasing the middle for years. This would be a choice.

Williamson is still 25e. When healthy, he bends defenses and game plans. Pairing him with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis would finally give Chicago a high-upside core instead of a safe one.

Is it risky? Absolutely. But at some point, you either swing or keep circling the same ground.

The big picture

This trade doesn’t solve everything. It doesn’t guarantee anything.

What it does is force clarity.

New Orleans leans fully into its evolving identity. Chicago finally bets on ceiling instead of comfort. In a league where even “sure things” aren’t sure, that might be the most honest approach of all.