Zion Williamson’s tumultuous stint with the New Orleans Pelicans will be over Thursday night during the NBA Draft, a league insider told sports media personality Bill Simmons.
The former duke is accused of an affair with an adult film star, Moriah Mills, who threatens to release a sex tape of the couple as he and girlfriend Ahkeema await the birth of their daughter. The scandal comes after another injury-plagued season for the former first-choice, who has also been criticized for his fitness and work ethic since being called up in 2019.
Now Simmons says the Pelicans have lost patience with Williamson and are expected to find a trading partner by Thursday night’s NBA Draft, though an official deal can’t be finalized until the league calendar turns next month.
“The Zion thing is a real, real subplot,” Simmons said on his podcast. “Someone told me yesterday that I trust that [Zion] is not in the team on Thursday.’
The Pelicans are rumored to be interested in Scoot Henderson, the elite point guard, likely to be picked second or third after Victor Wembanyama finished first overall with the San Antonio Spurs. The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers own the second and third picks, respectively, and their interest in Williamson, if any, remains unclear.
Zion Williamson has become the talk of Twitter and the NBA world since the pregnancy and subsequent allegations of porn star Moriah Mills
Mills’ Twitter rampage on Monday included 20 posts in the space of a few hours
At six feet tall and weighing 284 pounds—and presumably much heavier—Williamson played in just 114 games over his three-year career.
Some issues were bad luck, like a broken thumb, but other issues with his meniscus and broken foot may have been compounded by his fitness issues.
“I think a big part of him is,” Pelican’s vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told ESPN in April.
“I think he can do much better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we should examine the whole situation a little bit more from top to bottom.”
If Williamson is traded during Thursday’s draft, his future could be determined by the Hornets’ interest in second- or third-place Alabama forward Brandon Miller.
The Hornets already have an elite point guard in former Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball, making Henderson, another point guard, obsolete.
Williamson is listed at 284 pounds but is believed to be much heavier than that
The Hornets have an elite point guard in LaMelo Ball, making Henderson (pictured) obsolete
Another growing factor in Williamson’s future is the growing scandal involving Mills, who recently alleged that she slept with the Pelicans star.
The adult performer later released alleged text messages between herself and Williamson.
Amid the drama involving Williamson, his eponymous foundation donated $250,000 to students enrolled at the Jefferson Parish Schools in suburban New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of their Summer Bridge program, according to ESPN.
Williamson and his stepfather, Anderson Lee, visited the school to acknowledge the donation, and Lee gave an unexpected speech at the event.
“I want to say this,” Lee said to a crowd in Jefferson Parish. And I want to be politically correct when I say it. That’s my son and I love him.
Believe half of what you see and nothing you hear. That’s all I want to say,” he added. “I stand behind my son 100 percent. I wasn’t always where I am now.’
Williamson and his girlfriend shared a behind-the-scenes look at their June 6 gender reveal
Mills (pictured) claims to have had a sexual relationship with Williamson
While there is no public indication that the Pelicans are angry with Williamson over the situation, the 22-year-old could still find himself in the trading bloc in the coming weeks.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed what The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, saying the Pelicans have had “volatile discussions” about moving to Henderson, who played for G League Ignite last year.
“No offers necessarily have been made yet, but you really don’t have to go too far to wonder… and the league is certainly wondering if the Pelicans will actually make Zion Williamson available for the first time ahead of the next week’s draft,” he said on “Get Up.”
The NBA Draft is Thursday night in New York.