The Golden State Warriors could be looking at a bold swing that would change the conversation around the 2026-27 season almost immediately. One trade idea making the rounds would send Zion Williamson to Golden State and push Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and a protected first-round pick back to the New Orleans Pelicans.
It’s still just a hypothetical, and it comes less than a week into the 2026-27 NBA season, but the framework is enough to turn heads. For the Warriors, the appeal is obvious: give Stephen Curry another explosive scoring threat and try to squeeze one more championship window out of the roster. For the Pelicans, it would mark a clean break from Williamson and a chance to build around younger pieces.
In the Bleacher Report proposal, Golden State would receive Williamson, while New Orleans would land Green, Porzingis, and a top-four protected first-round pick in 2027.
The upside for the Warriors is all about offense. Williamson’s health has always been the concern, but when he’s on the floor, the production is massive.
He averages 27.8 points per 75 possessions for his career, a mark topped only by Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and Michael Jordan among players with at least as many career minutes. That kind of interior force would fit neatly next to Curry’s shooting from deep, and the pairing could get even more dangerous with Jimmy Butler available to help run the offense once he returns.
There’s real danger in the deal, though, and Golden State would know it. Green’s defense has been central to what the Warriors have built, and moving him would strip away a major part of their identity.
The team would also be giving up a valuable draft pick to make the deal happen. Even with Williamson in the fold, nothing about a deep playoff run would be guaranteed.
Porzingis adds another layer to the discussion. His Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome has raised questions about his long-term availability, but his contract could still appeal to a team trying to reshape its payroll.
For New Orleans, the logic is different. The Pelicans have made the playoffs only twice since drafting Williamson, and both trips ended in first-round exits.
He did not play in either series. A trade like this would let the franchise move forward with Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears while also escaping Williamson’s deal, which carries $44.9 million next season.
No side can call this a sure thing. But if it ever happened, it would alter the plans of both franchises in a hurry.
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