NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson could be traded this summer

While undeniably gifted and physically dominant, Zion Williamson's proneness to getting hurt has raised serious doubts about his durability. He's made just 85 career appearances for the New Orleans Pelicans since entering the NBA in 2019.

Zion has yet to make his debut this season and he's not likely to play at this point, even if the Pelicans make the playoffs. He was recently cleared for one-on-one activities after multiple setbacks on a foot injury.

But as encouraging as his recent progress could be, it seems like fans in the Big Easy won't get to enjoy him in his prime. According to NBA insider Jordan Schultz, the Pelicans could explore trading him in the offseason.

NBA Rumors: Pelicans Could Trade Zion Williamson In The Summer

“Just on the big picture here, I don’t know if Zion Williamson is gonna ever play for the Pelicans again,” Schultz said on The Dan Patrick Show. “He’s played 85 games in his career. If you don’t trade him this summer, what are you going to get for him long term? If you don’t believe he’s going to stay healthy, what are we talking about here? I think there is a very good chance he will not be back, and they will trade him this summer -- or at least strongly explore trading him."

Local Pastor Says Zion Loves New Orleans

For what it's worth, Zion reportedly reached out to a local pastor a couple of days ago. Per the man, Zion is in much better shape than the media claims, and more than that, he's enjoying his time in New Orleans:

“It sounds different from what’s being portrayed, and he looks a lot different from what’s been portrayed. He looks to be in a lot better shape than they’ve been letting on,” the pastor told Sporting News. “You could see that from the pictures.”

“To be honest with you, [Zion’s] exact words to me were that he loved the city," he added. "The only thing I know from him personally is that he’s excited about being back and he wants to get back into the saddle as fast as he physically can.”

For whatever reason, all reports about Zion have been contradictory since his high school days. Some claim he's overweight, some that he's slimmer than ever. Some say he hates the team, some that he wants to play. For now, we'll just have to wait and see.