Another injury has sidelined Zion Williamson after not even 10 games into the season, and opposing teams reportedly aren’t lining up to negotiate any trade deals with the New Orleans Pelicans for the two-time All-Star.
NBA Teams Are Not Interested In Zion Williamson Trade
Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, Williamson’s trade value across the league “isn’t super high” right now, as the 25-year-old remains sidelined with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.
“The intel that exists on Williamson within the league, fairly or not, is not great,” wrote Windhorst. “There have been numerous coaches, support staff, and teammates that have cycled through New Orleans over the past seven years, which includes all the injuries and a one-game suspension in January for being late to a team flight.”
The Pelicans picked up wins on back-to-back nights against two injury-riddled teams in the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks, but they still sit 14th in the Western Conference standings with just a 2-6 record.
Injury Update: The New Orleans Pelicans today announced that Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a grade 1 left hamstring strain.
He will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days and further updates will be appropriately provided.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 4, 2025
This could be the perfect time for New Orleans to make a franchise-altering trade.
One rival executive even told Windhorst that the ideal approach for the Pelicans would be trying to find a “win-now” deal because they’re in desperate need of more wins.
“To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” the executive said. “His trade value isn’t there and they are facing some pressure to win.”
Injuries Have Limited Williamson’s Potential
According to Basketball Reference, injuries have limited Williamson to playing just 219 out of a possible 480 games in his NBA career. He’s played in less than half of all of New Orleans’ games since the start of the 2019 season and has never appeared in a playoff game.
Williamson has missed time in each of the last four seasons due to foot, back, and hamstring injuries.
Over six NBA seasons since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has appeared in 61 or more games just twice. He played in 30 games last season before the Pelicans shut him down last March because of a bone bruise in his back.
“There’s no reason for New Orleans to sell low on him,” an Eastern Conference scout noted. “So, they might as well wait to see if they can get his value to go up.”
However, Williamson’s trade value isn’t going up any time soon, since the Pelicans intend to keep the six-year veteran sidelined for at least seven to 10 days due to his left hamstring strain.
Prior to his injury, Williamson was leading New Orleans in scoring (22.8 points per game), rebounding (6.8), and assists (4.6). He was also shooting a career-low 48.7% from the field and 66.7% from the foul line.
During the offseason, the Pelicans guaranteed Williamson’s $39.4 million salary for this season. His 2025-26 salary is part of the five-year, $197.23 million extension he signed with New Orleans in July 2022.
