The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to focus on building their team through the 2023 NBA Draft, which begins with the first round next Thursday.
At the same time, however, they’re dealing with an off-season distraction caused by their star, Zion Williamson, who’s facing a lot of heat from a former adult film actress who has aired her personal affairs on social media after her girlfriend announced her pregnancy with him last week.
Could these two situations coincide on draft night?
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Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans sits on the bench during the second half of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on February 23, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)
FanDuel TV’s Shams Charania said he is hearing that the Pelicans want to move up from their current No. 14 pick in the Draft, and that Williamson could be thought of in a front-office package.
«They’re a team that really has to watch out for the Draft next Thursday,» he said. «They told me they’re going after Scoot Henderson. They want Scoot Henderson in this draft. Right now, they’re at 14, they’re not going to get him at 14. But when you look at the picks it’s going to take to get him, two or three, most likely the position number 2.
«They’re having talks with the Hornets. They told me they’d get the No. 2 pick. The question is how does a trade work? Do the Pelicans look hard internally about moving Zion Williamson? Would they move Zion Williamson? Those are the big guys. questions».
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After Victor Wembanyama is selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs, Henderson is expected to be the second overall pick after having a successful first season with the G-League Ignite.
He averaged 16.5 points in 19 games, with 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds on 42.9% shooting from the field. Like Charania said, he can do it all, whether it’s shooting, passing, driving or defending.
But are the picks and Williamson worth the price?
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 2, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Williamson, the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has had work injuries early in his NBA career. However, when he’s on the court, he’s a problem for other teams.
He has averaged 25.8 points with 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his career thus far. His explosive abilities at both ends of the court make him a nightmare for teams due to his size and speed.
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But he didn’t play the entire 2021 season due to a foot injury, playing only 29 games for the Pelicans last season with a hamstring injury.
With the draft looming, each team will have to think long and hard about possible moves on the board and the Pelicans want to do something.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans, out with injury, looks on from the sidelines during a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on March 28, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
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And it seems that nothing, even trading a fundamental piece, is off the table.