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.