Jimmy Butler, Zion Williamson and more

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One of the more disappointing no. 1 pick in recent league history, the New Orleans Pelicans swingman Zion Williamson is trudging through another injury-plagued campaign, having seen action in just six games this season before injuring his hamstring.

Making Williamson’s case even more frustrating (besides the fact that it’s somewhat self-inflicted due to the fact that he never shows up for his team in good physical shape) is that when he’s healthy, he’s extremely productive. Lest we forget, at one point Williamson was the leading under-21 scorer in league history in points per game. match.

Now injured and potentially (he has complicated weight-related provisions in his deal) under contract through 2027-28, when he’ll be owed a whopping $44.9 million, it’s unclear what Williamson’s trade market would be if the Pelicans decide to shop him . That was the subject of a recent one ESPN article where an Eastern Conference executive talked about the former no. 1 pick trade value:

However, one East executive called gauging Williamson’s trade value “the hardest question to answer in the NBA right now.” “It’s really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there’s a very limited number of players in the league when they’re healthy who are at or near franchise player level,” the East executive said . “The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he’s healthy. “I’d probably do something stupid to get him if it was me, who made decisions.”

Another general manager said that while acquiring Williamson would be a risk, players with worse past production or uglier contract situations have been traded before and that he believes a team will take the risk on the former Duke standout.

Indeed, the terms of Williamson’s contract prompted one Eastern Conference executive to say that his deal, however expensive, is one of the best contracts in the NBA:

New Orleans paid Williamson as a franchise player, but included language protecting the franchise if Williamson missed more than 22 games in the 2022-23 or 2023-24 seasons. He missed 53 in 2022-23, meaning Williamson’s salaries for the remaining three seasons ($38.9 million in 2025-26, $41.5 million in 2026-27 and $44.2 million in 2027-28) are non-guaranteed. “It’s one of the best contracts in the NBA,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “But looking back, it’s hard to argue that any team would have guaranteed Zion $197 million unconditionally in the extension.”

Could Williamson be a surprise trade candidate this year? That’s starting to look more possible as the Pelicans struggle through the season. New Orleans currently has a record of 7-29.

For the latest Zion Williamson trade rumors and salary information, click here.