Report: One elite draft prospect could entice Pelicans to trade Zion Williamson

The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of an offseason that could feature making one of the biggest decisions in franchise history -- a list that included the previous move to trade All-Star Anthony Davis. Their current often-injured superstar, Zion Williamson, has been involved in trade rumblings, and the talk of a potential deal makes sense when factoring in that he's set to begin the first year of his $194.3 million contract extension.

If the Pelicans were ever going to deal Williamson, doing it either this offseason or next would make sense. But as Marc Stein revealed on The Stein Line, it appears the franchise's looming decision on a possible Williamson trade could hinge on the likelihood they can land one of this year's top draft prospects, Scoot Henderson.

"I heard this week from one well-placed observer who is convinced that the Pelicans would indeed consider dealing Williamson away if it meant they could draft Henderson, pointing to a rising level of exasperation within the organization regarding Williamson's ongoing availability issues and overall approach," Stein wrote.

In an interesting side note, Stein also pointed out that the Pelicans are "less inclined" to consider the same type of deal for Brandon Ingram, who was acquired in the Davis trade.

The Zion Williamson case for Hornets, Blazers

The likelihood of this happening points almost 100 percent to how the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers feel about potentially making this deal. For the Hornets, the appeal of Williamson returning to the state of North Carolina, where he starred for the Duke Blue Devils, has to have some intrigue. It would immediately increase fan interest in the team, and if Williamson can remain on the floor, would create a scary high-flying pairing with young guard LaMelo Ball.

As for the Blazers, you could argue that if star guard Damian Lillard is onboard with a potential trade to bring Williamson to town, and it's enough to make him feel like the franchise is taking a step forward, that could be enough to make it happen. Lillard's patience with the franchise appears to be growing thin, at least from the outside looking in, and they need to make a move that shows they're serious about an overhaul to bring in some help for Lillard and put them on a path to becoming a contender.