Jaylen Brown for Zion Williamson?

[SparzWizard]

"The Pelicans have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve," Wrote Pelican insider Christian Clark. "Williamson, multiple team sources have told The Times-Picayune, 'doesn’t listen.'”

Zion has red flags. Maybe another Jared Sullinger one day and become an outcast.

[Ed Monix]

"The Pelicans have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve," Wrote Pelican insider Christian Clark. "Williamson, multiple team sources have told The Times-Picayune, 'doesn’t listen.'”

Zion has red flags. Maybe another Jared Sullinger one day and become an outcast.

Definitely.

I am quite shocked that Zion STILL hasn’t got in shape, especially considering how important he is for the Pelicans as a franchise.

You would assume that this leak is from the front office, which means Zion’s time may be up in New Orleans.

[Vermont Green]

Seems like a major hit to the defense that does little to improve the offense.

I think it would improve the offense a fair amount.  The team doesn't really have an interior scorer like Zion and he is a pretty darn good passer.  It removes a duplicative offensive player as well giving more variety.  Obviously individually Zion is a worse defender than Brown, but Zion is at least a big body that can play PF and moves Tatum back to SF full time where he is a better defender and player overall.

Holiday, White, Tatum, Zion, Zinger with PP, Hauser, Horford is a more balanced top 8. 

You'd have to be comfortable with Zion's medical, but that is a trade worth exploring this summer (especially if Zion makes it through the year relatively healthy).  Of course, I don't see why New Orleans would do this trade only to end up like Boston but with a lesser and more injured version of Tatum in Ingram.

I recognize that Brown can't be traded until the off season but I agree with most of what Moranis says here.  I am not concerned about Porzingis and Zion overlapping.  I think that would be just fine.  One big can play the traditional PF role, the other the traditional C role.  Zion as a PF provides scoring, passing, ballhandling, and plenty of defense  Plus he can play a "wing-like" role to replace some of that shot/offensive creation that you get from Brown.  Porzingis is just the big guy who lumbers around but can shoot.

Durability is the big question of course but he his is on the court, I think the roster is more balanced and allows Tatum to play his natural position and play even more to his skills.

You lost me with Zion providing plenty of defense...

Williamson has a DRtg of 112.9 on a team that has a DRtg of 113.5.  He rebounds OK.  My concern with Zion is not his defense, it is his competitiveness or drive.  It is not clear if he even likes basketball.

To be clear, I don't think it is realistic that NOP would trade Zion.  If Zion doesn't start to show some fight, no one is going to want him.  If he does start to get in shape and play hard, NOP won't want to trade him.  But in the hypothetical of trading him for Brown, with the assumption that he shows up with the right attitude (like Porzingis), an all star level PF would be worth trading Brown for.

I don't believe that Zion is going to start to care though.  It is starting to feel like there is a greater chance he is the next Ben Simmons than he is an MVP level player.

[ozgod]

Keeping in mind we can't trade Jaylen till next year because of his supermax deal, this report from NOLA and CBS would give me pause:

Williamson's poor work ethic has been a source of frustration for the Pelicans since they drafted him No. 1 in 2019. The Pelicans have tried to surround Williamson with veterans who have track records of maximizing their potential. The team signed JJ Redick in 2019. IN 2022, they traded for CJ McCollum.

None of it has made an impact.

The Pelicans have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve. Williamson, multiple team sources have told The Times-Picayune, "doesn't listen."

It's worth pointing out that when New Orleans gave Williamson the aforementioned max contract after an extremely small sample size, it included a weight clause, according to Clark, who reported that Williamson would have periodic weigh-ins throughout the course of the deal, and if his weight plus body fat percentage were to go above 295, he could lose money.

"This was the first summer where we've seen Zion take his profession seriously like that and invest in it off the court on his own in a way that I think is meaningful," Pelicans president David Griffin said in September.

That Williamson didn't start taking his profession seriously, in the eyes of his employer, until the start of his fifth season is an obvious red flag, but at least he looked like he was finally starting to do so.

Not three months later, his weight has yo-yo'd back up and his conditioning and energy level back down. The X account "Pro Pels Talk" rattled off a bunch of examples that speak for themselves.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/zion-williamson-reportedly-refuses-to-prioritize-diet-and-conditioning-he-doesnt-listen/

I think we could do much better than Zion as a return for Jaylen. Maybe even two players, a $30m guy and a $20m guy, to help our depth and make it easier to manage our cap situation.

[SHAQATTACK]

Jaylen Brown for President

[mobilija]

Jaylen Brown for President

Btwn the top Republican, Top Democrat candidate and Jaylen Brown I know which one I would pick to play for the Celtics. I really don't know which one Inwould pick for President, hahaha.

[radiohead]

Keeping in mind we can't trade Jaylen till next year because of his supermax deal, this report from NOLA and CBS would give me pause:

Williamson's poor work ethic has been a source of frustration for the Pelicans since they drafted him No. 1 in 2019. The Pelicans have tried to surround Williamson with veterans who have track records of maximizing their potential. The team signed JJ Redick in 2019. IN 2022, they traded for CJ McCollum.

None of it has made an impact.

The Pelicans have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve. Williamson, multiple team sources have told The Times-Picayune, "doesn't listen."

It's worth pointing out that when New Orleans gave Williamson the aforementioned max contract after an extremely small sample size, it included a weight clause, according to Clark, who reported that Williamson would have periodic weigh-ins throughout the course of the deal, and if his weight plus body fat percentage were to go above 295, he could lose money.

"This was the first summer where we've seen Zion take his profession seriously like that and invest in it off the court on his own in a way that I think is meaningful," Pelicans president David Griffin said in September.

That Williamson didn't start taking his profession seriously, in the eyes of his employer, until the start of his fifth season is an obvious red flag, but at least he looked like he was finally starting to do so.

Not three months later, his weight has yo-yo'd back up and his conditioning and energy level back down. The X account "Pro Pels Talk" rattled off a bunch of examples that speak for themselves.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/zion-williamson-reportedly-refuses-to-prioritize-diet-and-conditioning-he-doesnt-listen/

I think we could do much better than Zion as a return for Jaylen. Maybe even two players, a $30m guy and a $20m guy, to help our depth and make it easier to manage our cap situation.

I’m not in the trade Jaylen camp but if we had to do a deal with the Pels, I think I’d rather have BI plus other players/picks for JB.

[Moranis]

Seems like a major hit to the defense that does little to improve the offense.

I think it would improve the offense a fair amount.  The team doesn't really have an interior scorer like Zion and he is a pretty darn good passer.  It removes a duplicative offensive player as well giving more variety.  Obviously individually Zion is a worse defender than Brown, but Zion is at least a big body that can play PF and moves Tatum back to SF full time where he is a better defender and player overall.

Holiday, White, Tatum, Zion, Zinger with PP, Hauser, Horford is a more balanced top 8. 

You'd have to be comfortable with Zion's medical, but that is a trade worth exploring this summer (especially if Zion makes it through the year relatively healthy).  Of course, I don't see why New Orleans would do this trade only to end up like Boston but with a lesser and more injured version of Tatum in Ingram.

I recognize that Brown can't be traded until the off season but I agree with most of what Moranis says here.  I am not concerned about Porzingis and Zion overlapping.  I think that would be just fine.  One big can play the traditional PF role, the other the traditional C role.  Zion as a PF provides scoring, passing, ballhandling, and plenty of defense  Plus he can play a "wing-like" role to replace some of that shot/offensive creation that you get from Brown.  Porzingis is just the big guy who lumbers around but can shoot.

Durability is the big question of course but he his is on the court, I think the roster is more balanced and allows Tatum to play his natural position and play even more to his skills.

You lost me with Zion providing plenty of defense...

Williamson has a DRtg of 112.9 on a team that has a DRtg of 113.5.  He rebounds OK.  My concern with Zion is not his defense, it is his competitiveness or drive.  It is not clear if he even likes basketball.

To be clear, I don't think it is realistic that NOP would trade Zion.  If Zion doesn't start to show some fight, no one is going to want him.  If he does start to get in shape and play hard, NOP won't want to trade him.  But in the hypothetical of trading him for Brown, with the assumption that he shows up with the right attitude (like Porzingis), an all star level PF would be worth trading Brown for.

I don't believe that Zion is going to start to care though.  It is starting to feel like there is a greater chance he is the next Ben Simmons than he is an MVP level player.

Sure, but that would by why Boston could acquire him for Brown.  If Zion had that desire and got himself into shape, I'm not even sure they'd trade him for Tatum.  It is because Zion has issues, that a Brown trade is even remotely possible.

[mig3zwo]

I don't trust Zions motivation... and I definitely don't trust his knees.
the guy is always one sandwich away from wearing a mawashi, throwing salt.
Hard pass for me.

[ozgod]

Apparently Zion has injured himself again.

Look how many games he's played in 4+ seasons...134. Garland and Barrett have played nearly twice as many minutes as him...so would Ja if he hadn't decided he wanted that thug life.

click to enlarge


Like one of those old Alfas or Jaguars that when you turned the ignition you would hold your breath and hope it was agreeable to start that day 

[Birdman]

Nooooo plus Brown isn’t going anywhere unless he demands a trade

[A Future of Stevens]

Did you see the thing about all the high end chefs want Zion to come try their place? He has a reputation for eating the table.

All jokes aside, I am unsure how he is going to hold up in the medium term let alone the long term. And it isn't like he is known to be a no nonsense kind of guy.