NBA Draft: New Orleans Pelicans Should Cut Bait - And The Fat - And Trade Zion Williamson

NEW ORLEANS - Most people never really change.

The New Orleans Pelicans need to realize that quick and trade the ill-fated Zion Williamson with their 14th pick in the NBA Draft Thursday (8 p.m. ESPN, ABC) to move up for the second or third pick.

San Antonio is a lock to take 7-foot-4 wunderkind Victor Wembanyama of France with the first pick. Charlotte is then expected to go for Alabama forward Brandon Miller, whose scary connections to a murder near the Alabama campus several months ago have been investigated by the Hornets.

NBA Draft Night Trades Very Possible

Next is Portland, which is expected to take G League point guard sensation Scoot Henderson. New Orleans is very much interested in Henderson. Houston picks fourth and may be interested in a trade as well.

A trade makes sense for New Orleans. It's time for the Pelicans to move on from Zion Williamson. He has shown flashes of greatness, yes, since the Pelicans took him with the first pick of the 2019 draft out of Duke. But then, so did Todd Marinovich and Bo Belinsky.

If you have not heard of those two, that is my point. The Los Angeles Raiders picked Marinovich in the first round in 1992, and he got off to a promising start. But soon he was done and forgotten. Belinsky won his first four starts as a rookie pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels in 1962, including a no-hitter. Soon, though, he was done. Each had major issues with drugs and alcohol, respectively.

It may be time for Zion Williamson and the Pelicans to divorce. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images).

Zion Williamson Nearly As Disappointing As Ben Simmons

You have heard of Ben Simmons, one of the most disappointing first picks of the NBA Draft in history as he went to Philadelphia in 2016. He's now continuing to fade away in Brooklyn.

Williamson will have a better and longer career than those three at least. He doesn't have the chemical dependencies of the first two, and he has much more want-to than Simmons has, ever had or ever will. Williamson just doesn't have the personal discipline to beat his food issues as he continues to fight his weight. That has likely led to the myriad of lower body injuries that has plagued his pro career.

Lately, Williamson's personal discipline issues include a pregnant girlfriend and an angry other girlfriend who happens to be a porn star.

Whew, that's a lot for a player who's healthy.

It's all adding up to the fact that Zion will never be the superstar so many have billed him to be one day. The best Williamson can be in the NBA long term in this view is a solid, oft-injured, oft-traded player.

Now, he has looked like a budding superstar at times, for sure. Too often, though, he is more of a limping superstar could-have-been.

AT TIMES, ZION WILLIAMSON HAS BEEN ALL THAT

When healthy, Williamson has averaged 25.8 points, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32 minutes a game. If he ever gets to the minimum of 250 games played for the NBA statistics, those averages now would rank him second in NBA history in points per minute at .805 (2,941 in 3,650 minutes). Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is No. 1 at .860 (10,718 in 12,524 minutes).

But that's just it - "when healthy."

New Orleans And Zion Williamson Do Not Mix

In four seasons, Zion has missed more than 220 games with foot, knee and, most recently, hamstring injuries. Out of a possible 328 regular season games from the 2019-20 through 2022-23 seasons, he played in 114 games. He missed another seven play-in or playoff games. Williamson missed all of the 2020-21 season with a broken right foot. His 2022-23 season ended on Jan. 2 after 29 games with a right hamstring strain.

It's ridiculous. Most of his injuries have been minor. An average second round pick in 2019 who played, let's say, 250 of a possible 328 regular season games would have created much more value on the court for the Pelicans than Williamson's flashes. With a lot less drama and general BS.

The Pelicans have been looking into possible trades involving Williamson. but they are reluctant to trade "the face of the franchise."

Is Zion The Face Or The Butt Of The Franchise?

Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin needs to realize that Williamson is more "the butt of the franchise" and deal him and the remaining five years of his contract valued in the neighborhood of $231 million.

Griffin needs to pull the trigger for his own career preservation. Zion is no LeBron. He can't afford to keep waiting for Williamson to see the light and past his waist. Griffin's job security is not the greatest. Hired in April of 2019 after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title with LeBron James, Griffin has done more than Williamson in New Orleans. But he has not done a lot. The Pelicans best season under Griffin is 8th in the Western Conference in 2021-22 at 36-46 with a first round playoff loss to Phoenix. The other finishes were 13th, 11th and 9th with no playoffs.

If Williamson remains, he will more than likely stay out of shape. The food is really good down here. And he will likely continue to get hurt and miss games. Then the Pelicans will continue to be an NBA farm team as they have been for the most part since 2002 here.

Williamson physically and mentally is begging for a change of scenery. And the Pelicans are begging for a change of "face."

The Pelicans Need A Fresh Start

Do it David, start over. You can get two very good players for Williamson in Henderson and either Gordon Heyward from Charlotte or Anfernee Simons from Portland to go with Pels' forward Brandon Ingram. That's a fresh start. Chances are whatever two new players Williamson nets, they will play more games combined this season than Williamson has in four. That's progress.

You'll also save some money.

It may already be done.

"I had somebody tell me that Zion will not be on the team Thursday," Bill Simmons of The Ringer said this week.

If the Pelicans don't make the move, they'll regret it every time Williamson misses another game. And he will miss many.

If the Pelicans do make the move and still do not become a real NBA franchise, at least they can breathe a sigh of relief every time Williamson misses another game for his latest team. At least, they'll know they tried.