There has been some serious speculation that the New Orleans Pelicans could look to hit the restart button and try to trade star forward Zion Williamson over the offseason.
And while that remains a possibility, Williamson would prefer to continue his career in New Orleans if given the choice. Williamson has played his entire professional career in the Big Easy, and he’s come to view the city as his home.
Zion Williamson Says New Orleans is ‘Home’ Amid Trade Speculation
Like most people, Williamson isn’t necessarily interested in leaving his home.
“New Orleans is home for me. I don’t say that because I’m sitting in front of these cameras or I’m talking to y’all. A lot of guys, when the offseason hits, a lot of guys leave the city,” Williamson said at his season-ending press conference on Monday.
“I live here. I stay here in the city, I go out and do different things to try to get to know the city more, this is home for me. I’ve been here since I was 19 years old.”
Williamson is eligible for an extension over the offseason, and while he would love to extend his current contract with the Pelicans, he understands that basketball is a business. Ultimately, it will be up to the Pelicans to decide if they want to offer an extension to the supremely talented but oft-injured forward.
“I do want to be here long term,” Williamson said. “As far as extension talks, that’s not anything that can really be brought up at this moment. I think that’s more of a business side of it. If the team wants me here, then yeah, this is where I want to be. This is home.”
These latest comments from Williamson echo statements he made earlier this month regarding his future in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is home for me. It’s where I want to be,” Williamson said. “But at the end of the day, if we’re going to be realistic about it, the NBA is a business. I could be traded in the offseason, or I could be traded before [next season’s] trade deadline. … Not that I want that to happen. But that’s just the realism of it.”
Zion Williamson Continues to be the Focus of Ample Trade Speculation
The trade speculation regarding Williamson has stemmed from the team’s lack of success since they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Pelicans haven’t won a single playoff series since Williamson joined the team, and Williamson himself is yet to play in a single playoff game himself due to injury issues.
Williamson has been limited to 30 games or fewer on three separate occasions, though he played in 65 games this past season, which was the second-highest total of his career. In those 65 games (and 55 starts), Williamson averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal per performance.
The Duke Product is still just 25 years old and thus could have plenty of productive play ahead of him – as long as he remains healthy. So, it will be extremely interesting to see what the Pelicans approach the situation.
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