Throughout Zion Williamson's five seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, the young star has experienced his fair share of ups and downs, including injuries and off-court issues.
The Pelicans have struggled to find a co-star to complement Williamson during the franchise's rebuild. New Orleans has appeared in the playoffs two times since drafting Williamson with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Zion didn't appear in both of those playoff series losses due to injury.
The Pelicans finished the 2024-25 season with a 21-61 record, which was the 4th worst in the NBA. Williamson played 30 games before missing the rest of the season with a back injury. Zion averaged 24.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG in the 30 games he played during the regular season.
Zion Williamson's potential co-star: Kevin Durant
In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Zion Williamson could be getting a potential co-star in bold mock trade that would be the highlight of draft night and the NBA offseason.
The Pelicans hold the No. 7 pick in this year's draft and Wasserman projects that the New Orleans Pelicans will acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. In return, the Suns will receive the No. 7 overall pick, CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Hawkins, a 2029 first-round pick (top-three protected), and a 2027 first-round pick swap (via Bucks).
How this trade benefits and hurts the Pelicans rebuild
With Kevin Durant coming to the Big Easy, his arrival could benefit and potentially hurt the Pelicans rebuild. Durant's presence will take the pressure off of Zion Williamson, and the duo should be able to compete for a playoff spot in the very competitive Western Conference if all goes to plan and there's no on-court or off-court drama.
The trade however also comes with risks for the Pelicans. New Orleans will be giving up key depth pieces and two draft picks that could hurt them long term if Durant doesn't pan out with the Pelicans. The key factor to if Durant with the Pelicans will work out is Zion Williamson.
Williamson will need to stay healthy to take the pressure off of Kevin Durant. Durant didn't see much success with the Suns, who had Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Suns win this trade because they get more depth that benefits the franchise long term. Many also argue that Durant is entering the final seasons of his prime.