Zion Williamson Vows Loyalty To Pelicans

Zion Williamson told NBA Today that "New Orleans is home for me," shrugging off persistent trade rumors and saying he wants to help the Pelicans win and be "forever" like Drew Brees. His loyalty matters because the franchise still wrestles with his injury history and uneven roster moves. When healthy he averages 24.1 points, but he has never played more than 70 games in a season and the team finished 19-43 this year. Merlin sees a crossroads. The Pelicans have veteran pieces in Zion, Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray while also juggling younger talent. Zion’s contract runs through 2027-28 with partial guarantees, his market is shaky because of injuries, and the team will have to pick a clear direction. For now his roots in New Orleans lower the chance of an immediate breakup.