Reportedly, the Washington Wizards could be a landing spot for New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, if the Pelicans decide to move on.
The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly told teams that looking to trade any of their core pieces before the February 5 deadline, but how accurate is that actually?
If the Pelicans were to receive the right offer, they would be foolish to say no about almost anyone on this roster. Right now, the only players completely off limits should be Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears and probably Trey Murphy III.
Not included in that shortlist is Zion Williamson, who has had the weirdest trade outlook of anyone in New Orleans in a long time and was just connected to an Eastern Conference team that has already made some big moves this year.
Washington Wizards insider Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that "league sources" had speculated that the Wizards would have to consider Williamson "if the price is right" and debunked the earlier reports of the Pelicans being steadfast in holding on to their emattled star.
This is a Washington team that has already added Trae Young for almost nothing. That's already a big move in itself, but it won't completely fix the team. There is room for more changes.
The Wizards haven't finished above .500 in nine seasons and haven't won a playoff series in a decade. They are clearly ready to do something different. They can afford to take a swing on Williamson, who is one of the biggest question marks in the league.
The story around the 25-year-old is well-known, especially among New Orleans fans. He is a fantastic talent when he's on the court, but he has never been reliable. He has played in just 47% of his possible games over six and a half years.
There was renewed hope that he had finally figured something out in the offseason and could maybe stay healthy, but he has dealt with a couple of issues and has missed 16 games already.
Williamson has finally found a rhythm, though, and has looked good over the last month. By all accounts, he has taken more accountability and worked harder this year, which is good to see.
The Pelicans could continue playing the waiting game to see if he works out finally. Those nights when he drops 30+ points on incredible efficiency certainly make it hard to move on.
New Orleans does seem to be moving in a different direction, though, with the emergence of Derik Queen as a potential new face for this franchise. Trading Williamson would clear them of a ton of baggage and worry about catering every decision to the health of their star.
Teams trading for Williamson aren't necessarily taking on a ton of risk. He's getting paid a ton of money, $40 million this year, but due to his injury clauses not being met, they can get out of it, no strings attached.
Washington has a handful of first-round picks that are not their own over the next couple of years, which is likely what the Pelicans would target. The Wizards also have several intriguing young players, but they are far less likely to include them in the deal.
Only time will tell if Williamson is truly off the market right now, but Washington makes sense as a landing spot if they do deal him.