An injury-prone big man in Portland? What could go wrong!
But in all seriousness, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team to monitor as potential sellers leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. A surprising 5-28 start to the season, in large part due to numerous injuries to key players, has put them at the very bottom of the association.
With the Pelicans' roster and season in disarray, Jake Fischer and Mark Stein mentioned on The Stein Line that the only players that should truly be considered off-limits are Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Trey Murphy III (although Stein also added Jordan Hawkins to that list in a later article).
They wrote, "Word is that the Pelicans are essentially open to trade pitches for pretty much anyone else on the roster."
Brandon Ingram has long been viewed as a likely trade candidate due to his expiring contract. ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks recently reported that trading Ingram 'is the priority' for New Orleans as they approach the deadline.
While Ingram is interesting for a Blazers roster that is still in need of a go-to player, his fit in their rebuild is murky given his age (27) and concern surrounding whether or not he'd even want to be in Portland long-term.
Instead, the Blazers should set their sights on Ingram's teammate, Zion Williamson, assuming New Orleans makes their former No. 1 overall pick available.
MacMahon and Marks suggest the possibility of that being the case, writing, "His $36.2 million salary for this season becomes fully guaranteed Jan. 7. As a result, Williamson and the Pelicans could be approaching a crossroads."
Why Zion Williamson makes sense for Portland
They also cover the dilemma surrounding his injury risk vs. talent. One thing that the Blazers would factor into any potential deal surrounding Williamson is how team-friendly his contract is. Williamson's contract is unique as it is not fully guaranteed, providing incentives based on benchmarks for weigh-ins and games played. Here is the breakdown of his contract, per MacMahon and Marks:
- 20 percent if weight criteria are met (combined weight and body fat percentage must total less than 295)
- 40 percent for 41 games played
- 20 percent for 51 games played
- 20 percent for 61 games played
They write that an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN it was "one of the best contracts in the NBA." But what followed was even more intriguing: "It's really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier," the executive explained. "The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he's healthy."
That last point is precisely why the Blazers should consider taking a flier on someone like Zion. Only one team wins the championship each year (obviously). But the point is that to win it all, you have to separate yourself from the rest of the league with bold moves to acquire superstar talent.
The article mentions a rebuilding team like the Chicago Bulls as a potential trade partner, with Zach LaVine's $43 million salary a close match for Williamson's $36.7 million owed. But if that's the case, why wouldn't the Blazers also be a potential suitor? They fit the same criteria as a rebuilding team that could be willing to gamble because the need for an All-Star talent outweighs that risk, which is also somewhat mitigated by his contract.
It also works out financially as the Blazers' two highest-paid players -- Deandre Ayton at $34 million and Jerami Grant at $29.8 million -- are expendable at the deadline, with Clingan poised to eventually take over the starting center role and Grant not a fit for their timeline at 30 years old.
Blazers GM Joe Cronin has already proven in past deals that he's willing to trade away future assets if it means landing an established player who also fits their rebuilding timeline. He just did that to acquire 23-year-old Deni Avdija this past summer, which has looked like a steal for Portland.
A rebuilding team giving up draft capital is rarely advisable. Still, exceptions can be made when everything falls into place in terms of elite talent, a team-friendly contract, a matching timeline and roster fit, and a potentially reasonable asking price. Hopefully, history repeats itself for the Blazers this trade deadline with the 24-year-old Williamson.
One executive referenced in the ESPN article summed it up best: "I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions."