Zion Williamson Talks About Whether He Wants to Stay in New Orleans

In today’s NBA it is incredibly rare for a player to stay with the team that drafted them. Whether it’s their own choice to leave or their GM decides to trade them (ahem, Nico Harrison), it seems like the days of stars staying in one place are officially over. 

One star who is still on the team that drafted them is Zion Williamson. Since being drafted number one overall in 2019, Zion has been the franchise building block for the Pelicans. However, due to the Pelicans' lack of success and questions about Zion’s health and attitude, many have wondered how long Zion’s time in New Orleans will last. 

Every year, it seems like Zion is in trade rumors. It isn't exactly clear if the Pelicans still believe Zion is worth building around, and it isn't clear that Zion wants to stay a Pelican. Zion recently spoke on that exact rumor on ESPN. 

"New Orleans is home for me. I know people hear rumors hear different things. In the offseason, I stay in New Orleans and just move around the city, just getting to learn more about the culture. I've made a lot of friends there. New Orleans is really home for me. I want to do what I can to help New Orleans win. If you look at the impact Drew Brees had with winning a Super Bowl, you're forever, and who doesn't want to be forever?"

This all sounds great, but how long will Zion and the Pelicans be OK with losing? The Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the league, and things don’t look like they are changing anytime soon. If Zion gets fed up with losing, or if the Pelicans want to change directions, Zion will likely be in trade rumors once again.