Would Detroit Pistons take a huge risk on a draft-day trade?

Detroit Pistons draft: Trading for Zion Williamson

I used to cover the Pelicans and have watched just about all of the 114 games Zion has played in his four seasons in the league.

When healthy, there is no one else like him, as he is unstoppable in the paint, was developing a jump shot, has shown he can hit 3-pointers and was improving on defense. He’s pretty much a guaranteed 26 points and seven rebounds every time he steps on the floor.

Outside of Wembanyama and maybe Scoot, there is not another player in this draft with Zion’s potential and it would be a chance for the Detroit Pistons to land a star without mortgaging their future or giving up one of their top young players.

Just imagine Zion at the forward with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. They would instantly be one of the most exciting teams in the league and a healthy Zion almost guarantees the playoffs.

HOWEVER. And this is the biggest HOWEVER in the history of hypotheticals: Will Zion Williamson ever be healthy?

The Pelicans have done everything in their power to cater to Zion, have treated him with kid’s gloves, let him sit when he could have played (sorry, but if you can do windmills in warm ups, you can play in an elimination game), given him private chefs, trainers and literally everything else a high-end athlete needs to stay in shape and succeed.

And he’s played 114 games in four seasons.

Of course, you could point to a guy like Joel Embiid, who also missed most of his first three seasons in the league and is now a perennial MVP candidate. The same could happen for Zion, but he could also end up being the next Greg Oden and the Pistons would be stuck paying him $44 million in 2027-28 and by then, who knows where he’ll be.

But he’s still only 22-years-old and if a team could just pry him away from some of the people in his life who are giving him bad advice (there are plenty) Zion still has time to be the MVP candidate everyone thinks he can be.

It would be a massive risk for both teams, as the New Orleans Pelicans would be selling low on a guy they’ve invested a lot in, and the Detroit Pistons would be putting their future on the line for a guy who has not been able to stay on the court.

It’s extremely unlikely to happen, but if the Detroit Pistons want to use a pick in a weak draft to land a star, it’s going to be one with some warts.