New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president Joe Dumars stated that the team has no plans to trade Zion Williamson this offseason. Williamson expressed his desire to remain with the team long-term, calling New Orleans home. The comments come amid questions about Williamson's fit alongside young forward Derik Queen after a disappointing 26-56 season.
Zion Williamson completed a solid season for the Pelicans, averaging 21 points, 3.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 29.7 minutes per game across 62 appearances. This marked only the third time since his 2019 draft as the No. 1 overall pick that he played 60 or more games in a season. In contrast, he appeared in just 30 games during the 2024-25 campaign due to hamstring and back injuries, prompting Dumars to express pride in his availability this year. The Pelicans finished 26-56, missing the playoffs despite Williamson's contributions, and a prior trade involving Derik Queen cost them a lottery pick in the upcoming draft. Lineups featuring both Williamson and the 21-year-old Queen struggled, getting outscored by 11 points per 100 possessions, leading coach James Borrego to limit their shared minutes late in the season by shifting Queen to the bench. Dumars dismissed trade speculation directly on Tuesday, telling reporters, 'Listen, we have no intentions of doing that. We're going into the offseason looking forward to Zion coming back next year and playing great again next year.' He chuckled at concerns over their on-court fit, comparing it to successful pairings like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, or his own time with Isiah Thomas, adding, 'Sometimes you gotta let players figure it out.' Williamson echoed the sentiment at his end-of-season press conference on Monday, stating, 'New Orleans is home for me... I do want to be here long-term.' With two years left on his contract at $42.2 million and $44.9 million, he becomes extension-eligible this offseason for up to $177 million over three years, though injury history tempers expectations. Separately, Dumars confirmed interim coach James Borrego remains a candidate in the team's upcoming coaching search.
