Could Zion Williamson be Headed to the Windy City?

After last week’s play-in loss to the Heat, there have been lots of questions surrounding the Bulls and their long-term future. There are a series of decisions looming that the team has to make with their young core. Josh Giddey is approaching restricted free agency this offseason and Coby White hits the open market in 2026. Additionally, the Bulls officially have the 12th-best odds of receiving the number one pick at 1.7%. They have an 8% chance of landing anywhere within the top four picks.

Needless to say, this offseason will be the one that establishes the future direction of the Bulls. While re-signing Giddey appears likely following his late season breakout, everything else remains up in the air. With the team unlikely to receive a top pick in the draft lottery, the front office will need to be active in the trade market to shake things up. The young core has been promising, but they are missing some pieces in the front court and need a true number one option to lead the team.

Zion Williamson is a big name that has been linked with the Bulls recently. There have been rumors dating back to early this season that the Pelicans are looking to part ways with Williamson, due to frustration over his inability to stay healthy.

Could Zion Williamson be Headed to the Windy City?

Zion Williamson’s Fit With the Bulls

A report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times proposes that the Bulls trade White, Nikola Vucevic and Jevon Carter in exchange for Zion. Cowley suggests that the Bulls build around Giddey and Matas Buzelis by adding Zion to the front court.

This proposed trade scenario poses the question of how well Williamson fits with the team. With Vucevic hypothetically gone, Williamson could play center at times. While Zion’s athleticism allows him to play small-ball center, he does not have the size to stack up on defense with top centers in the East such as Evan Mobley and Kristaps Porzingis. Relying on Williamson and Giddey on defense is bound to lose the team some close games. For this experiment to be successful, the Bulls would need a true center so Williamson could play at his natural power forward position.

An obvious elephant in the room is Williamson’s health. Out of six seasons, Zion has played over 30 games just two seasons of his career. While it is clear that he is capable of playing at a superstar level, those moments have been few and far between. Taking on a huge contract for a play style that is proving to be unsustainable long-term is quite a risk.

However, the numbers Williamson posts when healthy are phenomenal, and his style of play fits well with the Bulls offense. With career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, a full season of Williamson is All-NBA level. He has arguably the most athleticism in the league for someone at his size, making him a nightmare to defend. His ability to score and draw fouls in the paint would be huge for Chicago, as they ranked dead last in points in the paint last season. 

Last Word

To me, it seems that this proposed trade would be an overpay for a guy that is all but guaranteed to miss time. While the All-NBA upside is admittedly intriguing for a team seeking an exciting identity, taking on an expensive contract while moving on from White is too large of a risk. Trading for Williamson would be repeating the cycle the Bulls have fallen into of trading for or signing injury-prone/aging stars past their prime. While Zion is only 24 years old, the toll his body has taken with his athletic, bruising style of play has aged him faster than his peers.

There are more appealing options for the Bulls on the trade block without sacrificing such a steep price. The Bulls should either negotiate the deal down to get Zion Williamson at a cheaper price that does not include White, or take their business elsewhere.