The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a disastrous start to the 2025-26 season, falling to 2-9 with a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Thankfully, a positive Zion Williamson injury update could lift their spirits.
The team announced on Wednesday that Williamson has been cleared for contact practice and could return to game action imminently. The former No. 1 overall pick appeared in just five games before suffering a left hamstring strain.
“Pelicans announce that Zion Williamson, who was diagnosed with a grade 1 left hamstring strain on November 4, continues to progress well through his rehabilitation and has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities with contact.
“His return to play progression will be updated appropriately.”
The announcement spells good news for a Pelicans team desperate to get back to winning ways.
Pelicans Can’t Afford to Tank
By surrendering their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected) to the Atlanta Hawks, the Pelicans have no incentive to tank the 2025-26 season, even as the next draft class is stacked with high-level talents such as Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.
Ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Pelicans made the shocking decision to trade the 23rd pick and their unprotected 2026 pick to the Hawks for the 13th pick and the draft rights to Derek Queen. Even if Queen, a promising center with upside, turns into a star, the Pelicans may regret the decision for years, according to several NBA analysts, with The Ringer’s Bill Simmons terming it “one of the dumbest trades” of the past decade.
“This is when I lost my mind. I blacked out”, Simmons said of the trade.
“This was one of the five dumbest trades of this decade. I was speechless. I just can’t believe it. And who is it? It’s our guy Joe Dumars. And now he just traded away their unprotected first-round pick.”
“They’re in the West. What the f— does [Dumars] think is going to happen next year?” Simmons said.”Does he think they’re going to be a five seed? What is he doing? … They might have the championship belt now of biggest mess of a team.”
Zion Williamson Has No Trade Value?
If the Pelicans (2-9) season continues to go south, their front office could reportedly explore the idea of blowing up the roster, which includes moving Williamson.
However, an anonymous NBA executive recently said the perennially injured Williamson has no trade market.
“To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” the exec said, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “His trade value isn’t there and they are facing some pressure to win.”
Williamson has missed 276 out of a possible 497 regular-season games since being drafted by the Pelicans in 2019, having played in only 221 games.
The 25-year-old Williamson is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in his seventh season in the league. He missed the entire 2021-22 season with injury.
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