Grade the Trade: Blockbuster pairs Zion Williamson and LaMelo Ball, throws caution to the wind

The New Orleans Pelicans are plummeting to the bottom of the standings as Zion Williamson nurses another lower-leg injury. The Charlotte Hornets, meanwhile, are still clearly one piece away from meaningfully contending in the Eastern Conference.

Both teams seem to be heading in the opposite direction. Charlotte is at least on the ascent, with a couple young stars to build around in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The Pelicans, despite more talent and a fairly deep supporting cast, just feel totally adrift. Zion's constant injuries make it hard to adequately build around him. The rest of the Pelicans' supporting cast, meanwhile, can't seem to pick up the slack.

We shouldn't overreact to a month of action, but New Orleans has a better team than its 4-16 record suggests, which is doubly worrisome. If this core can't mesh and adapt to adverse circumstances, it may be time to pull the plug and reset. That idea is certainly going to percolate in the NBA discourse cycle, at the very least.

If the Pelicans do attempt to offload the Zion headache, it will be fascinating to see which teams come knocking. His injury history and suspect work ethic could scare off the typical big-market contenders. So, does that open the door for Charlotte?

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley put together a potential trade package.

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This Pelicans-Hornets trade would pair Zion Williamson and LaMelo Ball in Charlotte

(New Orleans also receives a 2027 first-round pick via DAL (top-2 protected), a 2027 first-round pick via MIA (lottery protected), and a 2025 second-round pick.)

It's pretty much impossible to gauge Zion's value at this point. The former No. 1 pick is a top-20 player at full strength — a one-man wrecking crew who can generate constant rim pressure and electrify a stagnant offense. His strength, speed, and finishing touch combine to form one of the NBA's most potent scoring packages. There's a reason Zion generated so much hype out of Duke, and there's a reason the Pelicans saddled him with a max contract despite the onslaught of injury woes.

That said, Williamson has five years of NBA service under his belt. He has appeared in 70 games once. Twice if we lower the threshold to 60 games. He has three seasons with less than 30 games played, including a DNP-injured for the entire 2021-22 campaign.

There is simply no way to guarantee that Williamson is ever healthy enough for a deep postseason run. He's an incredible athlete, but the level of force and stress applied to his knees on a regular basis appears unsustainable. Unless you remove Zion's superpower — his ability to explode down the lane and spring through defenders like a gazelle — it's hard to imagine him putting a complete season under his belt.

So, the Hornets are taking a huge risk here. And yet, with only two mediocre first-round picks and mostly salary filler going back to New Orleans, this feels like a risk worth taking. Despite everything stated above, the Hornets' ceiling shoots into the stratosphere with Zion compared to where it currently rests. Zion and LaMelo is a crazy fun offensive combo (if deeply injury-prone), while Miller profiles as the ideal third star to tie it all together.

Zion is also a North Carolina kid, born and raised. He went to Duke. There's something fitting about him potentially resurrecting his career in Charlotte.

Tidjane Salaun was the No. 6 pick in this year's NBA Draft. There's upside there, but he's a long-term project who won't pan out for at least a few years. This is the Pelicans essentially admitting defeat on the Zion era in exchange for scraps and resetting the clock — a justifiable, if deflating course of action.

The Hornets have to do this, point blank. There's less incentive for New Orleans beyond the benefits, whatever they may be, of getting Zion out of the building.

Pelicans grade: D+
Hornets grade: A-