Pelicans Commit to Zion Williamson Despite Roster Friction and Losing Season

The Recent Orleans Pelicans uncover themselves in a paradoxical position as the 2025-26 NBA season closes. On one hand, their cornerstone star has finally shown the durability the franchise has craved since 2019. On the other, the team is reeling from a dismal 26-56 record and a roster construction that looks increasingly dysfunctional on the court.

Despite the noise and the mounting evidence of a tactical mismatch, the Pelicans have no intention of trading Zion Williamson. This confirmation comes directly from executive vice president Joe Dumars, who shut down offseason trade speculation on Tuesday, signaling that the organization remains fully committed to the power forward.

“Listen, we have no intentions of doing that,” Dumars told reporters. “We’re going into the offseason looking forward to Zion coming back next year and playing great again next year.”

The Durability Breakthrough

For the New Orleans front office, the decision to stick with Williamson is rooted in a significant milestone: availability. Since being selected as the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Zion’s career has been a cycle of flashes of brilliance interrupted by injury. The 2024-25 campaign was particularly grueling, with Williamson appearing in only 30 games due to a combination of back and hamstring injuries.

The recently concluded season provided a necessary corrective. Williamson played in 62 games—only the third time he has cleared the 60-game threshold since entering the league. This stability allowed him to maintain a productive output, averaging 21 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.

Dumars noted he was “really proud” of Williamson, specifically citing the player’s ability to stay on the floor. For a franchise that has spent years managing the health of a 6-foot-6, 284-pound athlete, 62 games feels like a victory, even if the win-loss column suggests otherwise.

The Tactical Conflict: The ‘Awkward Fit’

While the front office is satisfied with Zion’s health, the on-court chemistry remains a pressing concern. The Pelicans’ struggles are compounded by the acquisition of 21-year-old Derik Queen. While both players possess undeniable skill, they represent a significant tactical challenge for coach James Borrego.

The primary issue is a lack of complementary skill sets. Neither Williamson nor Queen provides reliable floor spacing as shooters, and neither serves as an elite rim protector. When played together, the lack of spacing and defensive versatility creates a vacuum that opponents have exploited ruthlessly. According to team data, lineups featuring both Williamson and Queen were outscored by 11 points per 100 possessions—a deficit described as “Wizards-esque.”

This mismatch forced Borrego to create adjustments down the stretch of the season, limiting the minutes the two stars shared and eventually moving Queen to a reserve role in late February.

For those watching from the outside, the logic for a trade seems clear: if New Orleans wants to build around its youngest assets, Williamson—now 25—could be viewed as a roadblock. Though, the Pelicans are operating under a different set of constraints.

A High-Stakes Offseason

The Pelicans are entering the summer in a “weird spot,” largely due to the repercussions of the Derik Queen trade. Given that of the terms of that deal, New Orleans will not receive a lottery pick in this year’s draft, despite their 26-56 finish. This removes the easiest path to rapid improvement—adding a high-ceiling rookie to balance the roster.

Without a lottery pick, the team cannot simply “draft their way” out of the spacing issues. This makes the decision to preserve Zion even more critical. Trading a player of his caliber without a guaranteed high-value return or a draft pick to present for it could depart the Pelicans in a talent void.

Williamson, for his part, seems eager to address the shortcomings of the past year. The star has promised a “different summer,” suggesting a focus on the physical and tactical preparations necessary to better integrate into the Pelicans’ system.

Contextualizing the Investment

To understand why New Orleans is so hesitant to move on, one only needs to gaze at the pedigree of the player. Since his time at Duke University, where he was the National college player of the year in 2019, Williamson has been one of the most physically dominant forces in basketball. He has already earned two NBA All-Star selections (2021, 2023) and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.

The Pelicans aren’t just keeping a talented player; they are protecting an investment in a generational talent who has finally begun to conquer the injury bugs that defined his early twenties.

As the league moves toward the offseason, the narrative surrounding Zion Williamson shifts from “will he play?” to “how will he fit?” The Pelicans have decided that the answer to that question is worth the struggle of figuring it out.

For more detailed player tracking and updated statistics, fans can follow the official Zion Williamson profile on ESPN or check the latest reports via CBS Sports.

The next major checkpoint for the franchise will be the start of summer workouts, where the “different summer” promised by Williamson will begin to take shape.

Do you consider the Pelicans are making a mistake by keeping Zion and Derik Queen on the same roster? Let us know in the comments.