4 Zion Williamson trade destinations if Pelicans implode

1. Warriors can let Zion Williamson and Stephen Curry break defenses

The Golden State Warriors have quietly built up an impressive cache of trade assets. WIth several draft picks, as well as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski, Golden State has enough firepower to get New Orlenas on the phone — and maybe even enough to get a deal across the finish line.

It's abundantly clear that Golden State wants to add a true star wing next to Stephen Curry. While LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Paul George are the more popular west-coast names being tossed around, Zion lurks as possibly the most realistic outcome. If the Pelicans decide to blow it up or reshape the roster, Zion could provide the extra jolt the Warriors' offense needs.

Curry continues to produce at an MVP level for Golden State, but the veteran apparatus around him is falling apart. Recent improvement from Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green has the Warriors back on a winning track, but there's no guarantee that Draymond and Wiggins can maintain this momentum. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson is quickly approaching the Heat-era Ray Allen stage of his career, if he's lucky. So much for that one final max contract.

Too often the Warriors have operated at an athletic disadvantage this season. Zion can fix that in an instant, giving Golden State a consistent source of rim pressure and playmaking to complement Curry's methodical off-ball movement. Williamson is the NBA's premier downhill wrecking ball; Curry keeps defenses occupied to the extreme with his ceaseless relocation. Those two-man actions are going to be damn hard to stop. So much was made about Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, but Curry is more dynamic shooting off movement and Williamson, when healthy, is an even better rim finisher than Giannis (please do not confuse this with 'Zion is a better player than Giannis').

Golden State would be the best offense in the NBA on paper. The Draymond fit would be a bit awkward, and the Warriors might struggle to defend with a small frontcourt built around Williamson. Still, it's worth the inevitable ebbs and flows, the trial and error, to see what Williamson and Curry can accomplish in tandem.