New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been a staple in the NBA rumor mill since November. The ultra-athletic player’s recurring hamstring issues, which have caused him to miss multiple games this season, have heightened speculation about his future with the team. Williamson also suffered a groin injury in early December that only fueled more trade rumors.
On Thursday, via “Clutch Scoops,” NBA insider Brett Siegel added another layer to the rumors:
“One situation that I’ll bring up is keep a close eye on the (Bulls) on maybe pursuing Zion Williamson from the Pelicans. I’ve heard that there’s been some smoke there about Chicago scouting New Orleans in recent weeks, and Zion will be the ideal buy-low candidate for a team like the Bulls, who have a lot of expiring contracts.”
Jake Weinbach, another NBA insider, echoed as much on the same day:
“New Orleans, who’s expected to assess Williamson’s value, may ultimately seek a deal centered around expiring contracts in return for the franchise star.”
The Bulls, valued at $6 billion by Forbes, have multiple players on expiring contracts. Nikola Vucevic ($21.4), Zach Collins ($18.0), Kevin Huerter ($17.9), Coby White ($12.8), Ayo Dosunmu ($7.5) and Jevon Carter ($6.8) become unrestricted free agents after this season.
Zion Williamson for Vucevic and Huerter is a perfect salary match. Chicago might not even need to involve draft picks after the Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday without draft capital.
Williamson is averaging 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. When healthy and engaged, he is one of the NBA’s best talents who can change the fortunes of a franchise.
Pelicans can cut Zion Williamson in the offseason
According to Spotrac, 40% of the former All-Star’s $39.4 million 2025-26 salary becomes fully guaranteed if he plays at least 41 games. He receives an additional 20% for playing over 51 games and another 20% for appearing in 61 games.
If the Pelicans can’t get their expected return for Williamson, NBA analyst Sam Quinn explains a scenario for both parties:
“Zion Williamson’s contract is not fully guaranteed; they could just sit him out so he doesn’t reach his games played threshold (41) and cut him in the offseason.”
Zion Williamson has played just 23 of the Pelicans’ 39 games. If a trade, for draft assets or cap relief, isn’t on the table, the team could shut him down for the season.
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