Dec 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to a play against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Report on Potential Zion Williamson Trade After NBA Draft Lottery

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated May 14, 2025 1:26 PM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans had a rocky 2024-25 campaign, headlined by star forward Zion Williamson playing just 30 games. When healthy, Williamson proved he is still the All-Star-caliber player the Pelicans love, but the 24-year-old cannot seem to stay on the court.

Through 30 appearances, Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 56.7% from the field. While Williamson was fine on the court, many people have begun speculating about whether or not the young star has a future in New Orleans.

However, the Pelicans made a surprising decision by electing Zion Williamson to represent them at Monday's NBA Draft Lottery.

Zion will represent the #Pelicans at the @NBA Draft Lottery tonight (6 pm CT - ESPN )#NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/RrpHDFpQpn
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 12, 2025

Many people likely looked past this decision by the Pelicans, but NBA insider Marc Stein believes there is more to it. Amid all of these trade rumors, the Pelicans might have hinted that Williamson will be staying in New Orleans by sending him to the lottery.

"One source close to the process concurred with my instant reaction to this news: That's not the sort of role you ask a star player to take on if you're looking to trade him," Stein reported on The Stein Line.

Zion Williamson is in the building pic.twitter.com/6x5RdYt9L7
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) May 12, 2025

The Pelicans have been building around Williamson since they selected him first overall in 2019, and even though there have been trade rumblings, they should keep him around with the new vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, in the building.

The Pelicans ended up falling to the seventh pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, so while Williamson might not have brought them the luck they were hoping for, his future in New Orleans seems a bit brighter.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Pelicans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: