ESPN Predicts Zion Williamson as Next Big Star To Request A Trade

Zion Williamson entered the NBA as the next big generational superstar, but to this point, the former No. 1 overall pick has failed to establish himself as a top star. Whether that's due to the market in New Orleans, his injury issues or his off the court drama, it's clear that as of right now, many see him as a genuine disappointment.

At 25-years of age, there's still time for him to turn around the slow start to his career, as he can be amazing when fully healthy, but as of right now, he just hasn't managed to string together a year of full healthy. Perhaps the way to do that is to move on from New Orleans, and according to an ESPN poll of Insiders, he may be the next big name superstar in the NBA to request a trade from his current team.

In six seasons with the Pelicans, Williamson has already missed one full campaign, but averages 25, 7 and 5 when fully healthy, meaning that he's got the talent and production behind him to be a star.

The links to New York will always be there, but with the Knicks already having an established lineup, it's up to another team to push for a trade, and if he officially requests one, there will be many teams interested in the former top pick. For now though, he's heading into the 2025/26 campaign in New Orleans, but if the team continue to struggle, don't be shocked to see a trade request come at some point this season. 

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Written by Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith is a sports writer from Australia residing in Canada. He has covered the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB for the past decade for various online publications, with sports being his biggest passion in life.