The Atlanta Hawks do not need a power forward. They have Jalen Johnson. But if they did, trading for former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson would not be the worst flier a front office could take. Williamson mentioned Atlanta on Thursday. And while
It was not in reference to trade speculation, but he did allude to the recent rumors swirling around him and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The two-time All-Star said Atlanta is among his favorite cities when asked to list them.
“Man, I don't have a direct list. But New York, I think Brooklyn is a – there's a low-key, one that I don't think people appreciate enough – Boston, who else? Chicago. I like, Atlanta. They have a – I think they have like a really good arena and, especially the black culture down there is really – it's big down there. It's a lot of dope arenas out there that kind of they each have their own thing about them,” Williamson told reporters on January 16.
“For LA, LA would be like the lights. New York, it feels like the arena is dark but the court lit up. Brooklyn, just I love New York music; by Jay, Big. You kind of – and they play the music, that music in there, and you just feel the aura, the ambiance there. In Chicago, it's the Bulls, like, the dynasty they built here. So each of those arenas, and if I'm missing some, I apologize.”
Clearly, Williamson is just saying he is fond of playing in these place, not looking to be traded to those cities and their teams. Still, he pulled a veteran move and put his current arena at the top of the list.
Williamson said he felt “like I gotta say this.”
“I feel like I gotta say this because you just never know: New Orleans is, obviously, my favorite arena to play in. I feel like I have to say, though I shouldn't have to say that. New Orleans is clearly, by far my favorite arena to play in. But as a basketball fan, and someone that tries to appreciate the game, arenas do have their certain appeal to them.”
Zion Williamson trade rumors should be of no interest to Hawks
Williamson’s point was fitting as the Pelicans remain mired in trade speculation amid a 10-32 season that has them dead last in the Western Conference standings with more than half the season in the books.
Williamson, 24, is averaging 21.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, but he has made just nine appearances due to his long history of injuries extending into this season.
His talent and history makes his trade value difficult to discern.
“He’s like the mystery man, the hardest guy to figure out in the NBA as far as what his value actually is. I was shockingly surprised that his value was higher than I thought it would be. Both of us talked to a ton of teams, and there was value there,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks said on the “The Ryen Rusillo Podcast” on January 15. “He’s an enigma, and it ain’t even on the court. It’s like, you’re out, rehabbing, you come back, and now… I don’t know.
“We wrote about it because, you know, he’s got these weight clauses in his contract, right? He’s going to hit those weight clauses. He looked great. He looked physical, man. He’s out there doing windmill 360s.
“We wrote about it because he’s got these weight clauses in there in this contract, right? He's going to hit the weight clauses. That's – he looks great, he looks physical man, he's doing windmill 360s, and he looked great against – who'd they play last night? – Chicago. And listen he looked great. But damn it, can you just get to the plane on time, right? Can you get the practice on time? Can you do all these these things that they're asking you to be? You're the face of the franchise and you've played, I don't know, 30% of regular season games, and we're paying you $38 million here.”
Williamson’s woes have led to speculation he was trying to force his way out. And there was a time when he seemed to possibly indicate he would like to join the Hawks.
But that was before he was drafted by the Pelicans.
That is a long way from trading him now, though, including to the Hawks.
“If you’re Griff [Pelicans general manager David Griffin] in in New Orleans, you're trying to maximize as much value on him on the court. But then there's still the risk of him in a hamstring a calf or something like that,” Marks said.
“Teams have called this contract one of the great ones in the NBA because it's like an NFL-type contract, right? It's kind of got like rolling protections, right? If you play a certain amount of games or you hit the weight clauses, certain parts get guaranteed, and the next three years aren't guaranteed. So I would probably wait it out this year. Hopefully, he stays healthy for the last, whatever, 40 games and then kind of re-evaluate kind of where you are and, maybe, look for trade suitors.”
Williamson is in Year 2 of a five-year, $197.2 million contract. Even with the clauses, the risks associated with him make a potential trade – by the Hawks or another team – extremely risky.