Trade rumor rankings: Jimmy Butler, Zion Williamson and more

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

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

Now injured and potentially (he’s got intricate weight-related stipulations in his deal) under contract until 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 do decide to shop him. That was the topic of a recent ESPN article in which an Eastern Conference executive talked about the former No. 1 pick’s trade value:

One East executive, however, 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 are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier,” 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 would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.”

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

The stipulations in Williamson’s contract actually led an Eastern Conference exec to say his deal, expensive as it is, is one of the best contracts in the NBA:

New Orleans paid Williamson as a franchise player but included language that protected the franchise if Williamson missed more than 22 games in the 2022-23 or 2023-24 season. He missed 53 in 2022-23, meaning Williamson’s salaries in 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 is one the best contracts in the NBA,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “But looking back, it is hard to argue that any team would have guaranteed Zion $197 million without conditions in the extension.”

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

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