Zion Williamson turned a new leaf when entering this season. He stunned the NBA world with his fitness transformation. But still, the theme unfortunately remains the same. Williamson has only taken part in ten games this season, majorly missing time due to a hamstring injury. Just as he made a return, the Pelicans’ foundational star contracted an illness. Until now, the 24-year-old spent time reconditioning himself.

Now, there is finally a vital update. The Pelicans fanbase has something to celebrate.

After missing tonight’s game against the Grizzlies, the franchise announced Zion Williamson had fully recovered from his illness. According to Underdog, Williamson is expected to play against the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow. It will be the second night of a back-to-back for the Pelicans who recently had their game against the Bucks postponed.

Although Williamson hasn’t appeared in many games, it’s hard to sideline his impact. When healthy, the slashing forward is a powerful force. This season, he is averaging 21.9 points on a career-low 48.5% shooting. However, the former Duke sensation hasn’t had the opportunity to find any sort of rhythm this season.

His return is positive news for the Pelicans who currently sit at 12-33 in the West. Zion Williamson can become the beacon of the franchise if he stays healthy for the rest of the season. But due to his conduct and continuous encounters with ailments, the NBA circles are beginning to think he may need a change of scenario.

Will Zion Williamson be on the trade block soon?

Now in his sixth season, Williamson has missed more games than he has played. In addition, with a lucrative contract, his inconsistent participation has become an alarming weakness for New Orleans. Albeit, his contract is friendly due to the various hidden clauses. And with his potential in mind, the Pelicans continue to rely on him to be their franchise mainstay.

However, the question is does Zion Williamson want to stay in the French Quarters?

Recently, popular analyst Stephen A. Smith tried to understand his mentality. According to the distinguished host, Williamson seems ready to move on to a bigger market. “He wants to be in a major market like L.A., New York, or whatever because he wants the marketability,” Smith suspects.

Additionally, because Zion Williamson only took part in 22 games in the 2022-23 season, the last three years of his contract are non-guaranteed. That is substantial for contending teams to be drawn towards possibly trading for the 24-year-old phenom. However, as far as ascertaining his trade value, an East executive feels it’s “the hardest question to answer in the NBA right now”.

The Pelicans haven’t shown any indication of shopping Williamson yet. Rather, their priority is to offload Brandon Ingram, the impressive scoring forward with whom they failed to meet a contract extension. With the design of Williamson’s unique contract, there is ample protection for teams that are willing to take the risk.

When healthy, Williamson is a colossal impact maker. Likewise, maybe a change of scenario, a team with greater postseason hopes perhaps could motivate the 24-year-old to stay more engaged. But if the pattern continues, it can derail a team’s title aspirations for years. Having watched Williamson’s breathtaking yet irregular display, do you think any team should pursue the Pelicans’ cornerstone? Let us know your views in the comments below.