The New Orleans Pelicans may be planning to keep Zion Williamson for now, but that hasn’t stopped the trade chatter from getting creative.
One of the more interesting ideas floating around comes from Sai Mohan of Heavy.com, who put together a three-team framework involving the Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. It’s not a finished deal, but it’s the kind of proposal that gives New Orleans something to think about.
In the setup, the Pelicans would send Williamson to Brooklyn and get back Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden Hardy, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, a 2027 Houston first, a 2028 protected New York Knicks first and two second-round picks. The Lakers would land Julius Randle.
For New Orleans, the appeal is pretty straightforward: it’s a way to turn one massive name into depth, picks and more flexibility. Hardy and Knecht would be cheaper and carry more upside than Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins. LaRavia fits the wing profile the Pelicans have been chasing, and Vanderbilt at least brings rebounding help.
That said, the Pelicans would almost certainly need more moving parts to make the numbers and roster balance work if something like this ever got real. Adding four players while sending out just one is not a clean one-for-one swap.
The Lakers side is the part that feels lightest. Randle alone doesn’t seem like enough to justify giving up all of their young bargaining pieces, especially with other holes still needing attention. Los Angeles would likely have to include someone like Yves Missi too, but that only makes the deal more complicated.
Brooklyn, on the other hand, is easy to understand. The Nets can afford to move some late first-round capital after the number of players they’ve already brought in recently.
Williamson is younger and better than Randle, and he would put more people in the seats. That part of the proposal makes sense on its face.
For the Pelicans, the bigger question is what they should realistically expect back if Williamson ever does hit the market. Given his injury history, it’s tough to picture a true superstar haul, even if this kind of package still feels a little underwhelming for a player of his talent.
If New Orleans starts the season and doesn’t look like a contender, Williamson’s name is going to come up again and again. The fit with Derik Queen long-term is questionable at best, and the Pelicans could decide they’re better off opening up more offense, adding depth and collecting a few picks along the way.
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The more practical appeal is timing. Keeping Poole around gives New Orleans another potential deadline lever, whether the goal is to chase draft capital or use his salary to help facilitate a larger deal with another club. For a team trying to stay flexible, that kind of optionality can be worth more than it looks at first glance. [Read more 🡒]