4 Teams that should consider trading for Robert Williams III

2. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans may start Zion Williamson at center entering the 2024-25 season. That could be effective overall, as it allows the Pelicans to play their five most talented players on the court at the same time. But it also isn't a recipe that will work in every matchup. Being in the Western Conference, the Pelicans will have to go through talented big men like the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Lakers' Anthony Davis, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, and other teams like the Timberwolves and Thunder, who have multiple bigs to throw at them.

As athletic as Zion is, he'd still be at a disadvantage defensively if he played center, given his 6-foot-6 frame. The Pelicans' other main option at center is Baylor rookie Yves Missi, who is more of a raw prospect and likely isn't ready to see significant minutes on a team with playoff aspirations.

Williams would be a good fit for New Orleans because they could still experiment with lineups with Zion at the center, especially since Williams may not be ready to see starting-level minutes as he recovers from right knee surgery. RW3 could be eased back into the rotation but also provide the Pelicans with another dimension as a more experienced big man with the size to better contain some of the star bigs in the West.

The main player the Blazers should try to get is Trey Murphy, although it seems unlikely that New Orleans would be willing to part with their two-way wing. A more likely trade could involve sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins and draft capital.