NBA Teams Aren’t Interested in Zion Williamson Trade
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim BontempsWilliamson’s trade value in the league “isn’t super high right now” as the 25-year-old remains sidelined with a Grade 1 left hamstring injury.
“The information that exists around the league on Williamson, reasonable or not, is not great,” Windhorst wrote. “Numerous coaches, support staff and teammates have cycled through New Orleans over the past seven years, including all the injuries and a one-game suspension in January for being late for a team flight.”
The Pelicans are coming off wins on back-to-back nights against two injury-plagued teams in the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks, but they still sit 14th in the Western Conference standings with just a 2-6 record.
Injury Update: The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.
He will be re-evaluated within 7-10 days and further updates will be provided as appropriate.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 4, 2025
This could be the perfect time for New Orleans to pull off a franchise-altering trade.
One rival executive even told Windhorst that the ideal approach for the Pelicans would be to find a “win-now” deal, as they desperately need more wins.
“To be fair, their move could be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” the executive said. “His trade value is not there and they are facing some pressure to win.”
Injuries have limited Williamson’s potential
According to Basketball referenceDue to injuries, Williamson was only able to play 219 of a possible 480 games in his NBA career. He has played in less than half of New Orleans’ games since the start of the 2019 season and has never appeared in a playoff game.
Williamson has missed time in each of the past four seasons due to foot, back and hamstring injuries.
Through six NBA seasons since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has played in 61 or more games just twice. He played 30 games last season before the Pelicans ruled him out last March due to a bone bruise in his back.
“There’s no reason for New Orleans to sell him low,” one Eastern Conference scout noted. “So they might as well wait to see if they can increase its value.”
However, Williamson’s trade value won’t increase anytime soon as the Pelicans plan to keep the six-year veteran sidelined for at least seven to 10 days due to his left hamstring injury.
Prior to his injury, Williamson led New Orleans in scoring (22.8 points per game), rebounding (6.8) and assists (4.6). He also shot a career-low 48.7% from the field and 66.7% from the foul line.
This offseason, the Pelicans guaranteed Williamson’s $39.4 million salary for this season. His 2025-2026 salary is part of the five-year, $197.23 million extension he signed with New Orleans in July 2022.
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