NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson could make a surprise return for the playoffs

The New Orleans Pelicans were ok trading away Anthony Davis because they’d have enough young prospects to rebuild and compete for the future. Then, Zion Williamson became the cornerstone of their project.

But as good as Zion has been when healthy, that hasn’t happened too often. His never-ending struggles with foot injuries and apparent overweight raise some doubts about his future in the league, and that has set the Pelicans back a bit.

Even so, the team has been through a huge surge over the past couple of months, putting themselves in a position to make the play-in tournament. Should that happen, a recent report claims that there’s a chance Zion could suit up in time for the postseason,

NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson Could Come Back For The Playoffs

“Our sources say that he was supposed to play 3 on 3 games but has skipped that and started playing 5 on 5 practice games and exhibitions,” said The Pelican Report. “The Pelicans are on a road trip right now. What our source says is that when the Pelicans come back from the road trip, Zion Williamson will be playing basketball for the Pelicans next week… He’s going to be activated and be playing basketball next week.”

Pelicans Could Look To Trade Him In The Offseason

Then again, everything about Zion and his rehab has drawn nothing but contrasting takes and frustration for the fans. Not so long ago, the word around the league was that the Pelicans would consider trading him in the offseason:

“Just on the big picture here, I don’t know if Zion Williamson is gonna ever play for the Pelicans again,” NBA insider Jordan 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.”

There’s no denying that Zion can make a huge impact when he’s on the court. He’s strong, dominant, talented, and perhaps the most athletic player in the game. But he needs to prove that he can stay healthy.