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3 Teams That Should Roll the Dice on Zion Williamson Next Season
After Another Disappointing Season, Zion Williamson’s Time in New Orleans May Be Up
What’s Next?
Talented big men are always in high demand and short supply in the NBA these days. Zion Williamson is one of those players, but if you’ve been watching NBA games or are used to betting on NBA game players, you know Zion hasn’t lived up to the hype as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft.
There have been criticisms about his weight, some concerns about his extracurricular activities (read: women), and he hasn’t always been the best leader for the Pelicans where he has yet to appear in a playoff game for the franchise.
THIS ANGLE OF ZIONS DUNK 😮💨 @Zionwilliamson (via @dbrwnjr) pic.twitter.com/nK2V5h4Iba
— Overtime (@overtime) March 18, 2025
However, the No. 1 issue is the Zion Williamson injury history, which is extensive. Even this season, he missed 27 games for a hamstring strain. But when healthy, Williamson is a player who is going to give you over 20 points per game, decent rebounds, and shoots a solid percentage. Williamson just had a career-high 12 assists earlier this month in a win over the Clippers.
Zion Williamson’s stats for his career include 214 games played with averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and .589 FG%. He’s one of nine players in NBA history to average 24/6/4 in his career, and that list is absolutely stacked with the following legends:
- Michael Jordan
- LeBron James
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Larry Bird
- Kevin Durant
- Luka Doncic
- Oscar Robertson
- Elgin Baylor
- Zion Williamson
Zion is the least accomplished player by far on that list, but he hasn’t even had his 25th birthday yet. That’s why with the NBA news heating up that the Pelicans could move on from him next season, you can count on several teams to be interested. He might even thrive if he’s added to a team where he doesn’t need to be the best player. Think Andrew Wiggins going to Golden State and winning the NBA Finals there.
Zion Williamson tonight:
29 points
8 assists
75% FG
(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/FO8PZRLG8h
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 20, 2025
Here are three landing spots that could make sense for Williamson next season.
Miami Heat
Pat Riley just turned 80 and is no stranger to making bold moves. The Heat have struggled since trading Jimmy Butler to Golden State, so adding Williamson to the core of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo could be a smart move for next season if they want to compete in the East.
It also helps when you have Erik Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the NBA. Just keep Williamson away from the temptation of those Instagram baddies in Miami.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are thriving right now (14-5 since early February) and should finally be back in the postseason after a long absence. Cade Cunningham is reaching his superstar potential, but he could still use more help.
Detroit can certainly get better forward play than 32-year-old Tobias Harris, who is averaging his fewest points per game in a dozen years. The Pistons need more scoring to keep up with the Celtics and Cavaliers, and Zion can fill that role.
Zion Williamson was HISTORICALLY efficient despite the Pelicans’ loss.
💪 40 PTS (season-high)
💪 4 REB
💪 4 AST
💪 2 STL
💪 16-21 FGMHe’s the FIRST player in Pelicans history and the 11th player EVER to score 40+ PTS in under 28 MIN! pic.twitter.com/oXyRc3efqe
— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder
Many people’s NBA picks and predictions love the Thunder right now, but we’ll see come playoff time if they have enough scoring behind NBA scoring leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Williamson could be a great sidekick to SGA and greatly improve the forward play over a marginal starter like Luguentz Dort. It’s hard to win the NBA Finals with just one-star player.
