January 2026 has been a shock for the Washington Wizards. Early in the month, there was speculation that then-Atlanta Hawks guard Trey Young may be a target for Washington and that Young preferred the Wizards. In a matter of days, Young got traded to the Wizards for a relatively low price asset-wise: Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. So using that line of thinking, a recent piece by Joshua Robbins of The Athletic indicates that New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson could also be a target for Washington considering how quickly the Wizards acquired Young.
The Pelicans, at least on the record, do not intend to trade him. But considering his injury history despite his talent, if the Wizards offer some compensation their way, it’s possible that the Pelicans could listen. Here is an excerpt from Robbins’ piece:
With the Young trade as the template of a low-cost trade for a distressed asset, league sources speculated that New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson would be someone the Wizards would have to consider if the price is right.
The Pelicans reportedly have told teams they’re not going to trade Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears. As it pertains to Williamson only, however, league sources expressed skepticism to The Athletic about that report.
League sources said they cannot envision any scenario in which Washington would give up one of its own future first-round picks. But one source speculated that a pick owed to the Wizards, such as the least favorable of the Houston Rockets’ (top-four protected), LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round picks, might satisfy the Pelicans’ goals.
To be crystal clear: The Wizards trading for Williamson appears to be an extreme long shot. But it was mentioned as a possibility by enough league sources that it at least should be mentioned here.
The Wizards made noise early this month by acquiring one of the league’s most potent scorers. So, knowing how quickly that move happened, who knows what could happen with Williamson? Let us know in the comments below.
