Zion Williamson trade value uncertain despite interest

Zion Williamson has demonstrated elite-level performance since making his return from a hamstring injury in January, playing at what can be considered an All-NBA caliber.

Before his return, uncertainty surrounded Williamson’s long-term future with the New Orleans Pelicans due to his history of injuries and the team’s standing in the highly competitive Western Conference.

Reflecting on the situation before Williamson’s return, Tim MacMahon recalled on The Hoop Collective Podcast:

“I remember Bobby [Marks] and I wrote a story just as he was about to come back and kind of like ‘What’s coming with Zion?'”

At that time, speculation arose regarding his potential trade value and market interest. MacMahon shared that sources had indicated the Pelicans’ primary objective was to gradually reintegrate him into play and rebuild his value – either for the franchise itself or as a potential trade asset:

“Somebody told us then the goal is to ramp him up and restore his value whether that’s for the Pelicans or another team. And he’s handling the first part, to his credit, he is absolutely handling the first part.”

However, despite Williamson’s impressive performances, Brian Windhorst remained skeptical about how much trade value he would command, given his history of injuries:

“I still don’t know how much they can actually get for him based on his injury history.”

MacMahon acknowledged this concern but pointed out that there are certainly organizations that would still be highly interested in acquiring Williamson:

“There’s some teams that would have significant interest.”

Williamson has played 5 seasons for the Pelicans. He has averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 212 regular-season games.