The 2019 NBA Draft featured a pretty solid collection of talent. Darius Garland and Tyler Herro went fifth and 13th, respectively, and both have been All-Stars. RJ Barrett, Coby White and Cam Johnson are just some of the other players in the lottery who have gone on to successful careers. Teams even found quality players outside the lottery, like Ty Jerome, Jordan Poole, Nic Claxton and Daniel Gafford. When we look back at that class, though, the part that stands out is who went first and second.
Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were collegiate sensations. Zion was a phenomenon at Duke due to his size, athleticism and the rare feat he pulled off of actually being a likable Blue Devil thanks to his 1,000-watt smile. Ja seemed to come out of nowhere as Russell Westbrook incarnate — a hyper-athletic point guard who nobody could stay in front of. Even more impressively, he did it at Murray State, leading the Racers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in school history.
Each player was branded as the savior for their NBA franchises — Zion for the Pelicans, and Ja for the Grizzlies. Though there have been some highs, each one's career has been much more noteworthy for the lows they've experienced.
Zion has never been able to stay healthy, and he's struggled his entire career with his weight and conditioning. Ja's breakneck style has also landed him on the shelf with regularity, plus he's had more than a few behavioral issues, even getting suspended 25 games for flashing a gun on social media after he was warned not to.
Both are back in the news for the wrong reasons again. Zion is sitting out with a hamstring injury, a distressing development after he looked like he was in the best shape of his professional life. Even more worrisome is the fact that the Pels have won their last two games without him after losing their first five with him.
Ja's situation is even more concerning, because although the season is only a few weeks old, he's already embroiled in a feud with new head coach Tuomas Iisalo. The normally electric Ja sulked his way through the second half of a loss to the Lakers last week after hearing something he didn't like at halftime, then further fanned the flames with the media afterwards, resulting in a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Even since returning, Ja seems to have lost his spark, shooting just over 31 percent in consecutive losses to the Pistons and Rockets.
Given how bad the situations in New Orleans and Memphis seem to be, it may just be in everyone's best interests to move on and start fresh. Zion and Ja both come with a lot of baggage, but talents like this don't become available every day. The question is, which one would command a bigger trade package to land?
Zion Williamson vs. Ja Morant: A trade value breakdown
When it comes to on-court availability, Ja has a clear edge even though he's never played more than 67 games in a season. Not counting this season since it just started, he's played in 307 games in six years, for an average of just over 51 per year. Zion has spent more time on the injured list than on the court, playing in only 214 of a possible 492 games. Missing the entire 2021-22 season with a lingering foot injury didn't help, but he's still only cleared 30 games played twice before.
Ja also has an advantage when it comes to winning. When he's on the court, the Grizzlies are 181-134. Memphis has made the playoffs three times since he's arrived and gotten to the Western Conference semis once, in 2022 when they finished with 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Pelicans, by contrast, have made the postseason twice and never hit 50 wins since drafting Zion, and one of those playoff appearances occurred in the year that he missed due to injury.
Production-wise, both players are similar. Zion has averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his career, while Ja has put up 22.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Each has wildly different offensive games, with Zion succeeding due to his ability to get in the lane and finish with a soft touch, and Ja by using his handle and speed to get himself and his teammates open looks. Both feel anachronistic in a way, as Ja has never been a good 3-point shooter, while Zion has a Ben Simmons-level allergy to shooting from deep.
Each player is on functionally identical contracts right now, as they both signed five-year rookie max extensions in the summer of 2022. Zion's guarantees are tied to games played and weight incentives, while Ja has a 15 percent trade kicker that prospective suitors would have to take into consideration.
One area in which Zion is more valuable than Ja is in positional scarcity. There aren't many teams in need of a point guard (though a team like the Rockets, who lost Fred VanVleet for the season, come to mind as a potential fit), but Zion brings something wholly unique from the power forward spot, at least if he could stay healthy, a prospect that seems more remote by the day, as he's currently out with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Zion does get the nod as far as team chemistry and behavior go. How could he not, given Ja's history of suspensions and his current drama with his new head coach? Zion was suspended one game last season for missing a team flight, but other than that he's mostly been a model citizen. He also seems to have a better handle on his weight issues, as he reportedly lost as much as 40 pounds this offseason, and looks it.
It's going to be tough to trade either player, because both Zion and Ja have baggage dragging their market down. Any team trading for them will be hoping to unlock some untapped potential, but the Pelicans and Grizzlies might just decide that they'd rather hope for that revelation themselves rather than selling low to another team.
With that being said, I believe that Zion has a slightly higher trade value at this moment in time. There aren't any other players like him, and although his injury history is an enormous red flag, the fact that he's gotten into better shape and is less likely to be a locker room issue than Ja makes him a more desirable target. His game should also fit in more easily with a new roster than Ja's would, since Ja needs the ball in his hands so much more to drive the action.
Both players seem like they could use a fresh start, but the cost to land Zion should be just a bit higher.