The Golden State Warriors have been tied to one New Orleans Pelicans star they can form another big four with.
Warriors could strike “low-risk” deal for Zion Williamson
Electric Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was named by ESPN’s Bobby Marks as an All-Star talent that the Warriors could make a play for without risking too much, saying (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area’s Joaquin Ruiz):
“Now, Zion is interesting here just because he is injured right now [and] we don’t know when he is coming back,” Marks said. “For him to be on the court, that’s how you can get the most value for him, either in a trade or with the Pelicans. I’ve always circled Golden State, [who] would be certainly that team there for for Zion.”
Williamson is a fringe superstar for Warriors to consider
On his best day, Williamson performs like a true superstar in the league. He put that on display in his second and fourth seasons in the league, where he put up over 26 points and seven rebounds per game on over 60 percent shooting from the field in each of those two campaigns.
Injuries have robbed the Duke University product of truly imposing his will on the court, as he’s played in 166 of a possible 344 games dating back to the 2020-21 season. No matter, when healthy, Williamson is a generational talent with dominant scoring ability as a perennial contender to lead the league in points in the paint per year, and a talented distributor, averaging 4.2 assists per contest for his career.
Warriors have assets to trade for oft-injured Williamson
The Warriors have an abundance of young talent they can offer to the Pelicans in exchange for the two-time All-Star, including Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, who have both seen their names float in trade rumors thus far, as well as Moses Moody. Golden State also has draft capital to expend, including six first-rounders and four second-rounders between 2025 and 2031.
The biggest variable that the Warriors would have to consider is how many games they would get out of Williamson. If he can stay healthy, the Dubs would instantly re-emerge as title favorites. If not, he would only worsen the team’s injury vulnerability at the top of their proverbial food chain, with superstar Stephen Curry liable to suffer injuries to his lower extremities annually. No matter, Williamson’s breathtaking talent makes him a name to watch as the trade deadline nears.
