Zion Williamson Update: Rumors Abound

It’s hard to know much from a distance, but rumors continue to swirl that former Duke star Zion Williamson isn’t happy with things in New Orleans and one school of thought is that the Pelicans continue to do things to basically placate their young star.

So, if that’s true, it might explain why New Orleans dumped coach Stan Van Gundy in favor of Willie Green.

But it’s harder to explain why the Pelicans are reportedly interested in Kyle Lowry.

We’re not knocking Lowry. He’d be a great asset for them in many ways. But at what price?

This article suggests giving up Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe for “minimal return” and also letting Lonzo Ball leave as a free agent.

Lowry might be a great pickup for the Pelicans. He’s certainly respected and is an outstanding leader. The problem though is this: he’s 35 and missed a good chunk of last season with injuries. He’s only got a couple of years left, at best.

How much do you give up for someone like that?

It’s understandable that New Orleans wants to surround Williamson with better talent and first-rate professionals, but they had one in JJ Redick and let him go, which apparently didn't impress Williamson either.

The other thing is this, and this is general. We’re not knocking Williamson at all when we say this. Nonetheless: if you end up frightened about alienating your star player, or give the appearance of being frightened, that will just lead to him holding you in contempt. The team does need to make some changes, but fear is not a smart approach to managing a franchise.