NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson To Knicks Is ‘Something To Watch,’ It Just Won’t Happen Soon

Let the wild speculation commence for another young basketball star to potentially join the New York Knicks.

Zion Williamson — the 20-year-old New Orleans Pelicans forward who drew rave reviews for his meteoric rise in 2018 with the Duke Blue Devils - raised some eyebrows Sunday when he spoke glowingly about playing in the Big Apple.

“I mean, New York is the mecca of basketball,” Williamson told reporters after the Knicks defeated the Pelicans in overtime at Madison Square Garden. “I love playing here. I played here in college. This is my first time playing in the pros. I mean, this atmosphere — whether they're cheering for you, whether they're booing for you, it's amazing.”

Williamson could barely contain his smile, noting he was glad to be asked about playing in front of the Garden crowd. Williamson had 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the 122-112 defeat.

“Honestly, I think, outside of New Orleans obviously, I think this might be my favorite place to play. Outside of New Orleans. I can't even lie to you. I can't lie to you.”

It wasn’t long ago that the Knicks and their fans thought Williamson would be playing half of his games each year at MSG. New York essentially waved the white flag on the 2018-19 season, owning the league’s worst record and therefore the best chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

But the ping-pong balls bounced in favor of the Pelicans, who took Williamson first overall. The Knicks settled for the No. 3 pick and selected RJ Barrett, Williamson’s teammate at Duke.

After an injury-plagued rookie season, Williamson's statistics have been eye-popping. The 20-year-old is averaging 26.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Shooting 61.4% from the field on 16.8 shot attempts per game, the All-Star is looked virtually unstoppable in the paint.

Those stats haven’t translated into many wins for the Pelicans. New Orleans is the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference with a 25-32 record. With less than a month remaining in the regular season, the odds are against the Pelicans landing a top-10 seed and a spot in the play-in tournament.

New York’s victory over New Orleans put the Knicks four games over .500 and 5.5 games ahead of the Pelicans in the overall standings. The Knicks are all but guaranteed to make the play-in tournament, at the very least, and the team is in striking distance of a top-five seed in the East.

Barrett has taken a significant leap in his second season, averaging 18.8 points per game while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range after the All-Star break. Julius Randle’s All-NBA-caliber play and one of the league’s best defenses have turned Tom Thibodeau's Knicks into one of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises.

Williamson’s recent comments, his connection to Barrett and the current disparity between the two teams are sure to ignite rumors that he might one day join the Knicks.

In an appearance on “Get Up” on Monday morning, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski said Williamson’s glowing words about New York are “something to watch, down the road.” Wojnarowski noted that Williamson is particular in what he says, though there are obstacles for the young star to leave New Orleans anytime soon.

It's possible that Williamson does indeed have visions of playing for the Knicks -- it's just unlikely that either side can make that happen anytime soon.

Williamson is in the second year of his rookie contract and on track to become a restricted free agent following the 2022-23 season. The Pelicans would be able to match any offer Williamson receives that summer, and the team can ink him to a five-year deal worth potentially up to $207 million, The Athletic pointed out.

Williamson could navigate his way to free agency in the summer of 2024, but it would take an unprecedented decision. He would have to turn down the expected $207 million extension — which will almost certainly be offered —and play the 2023-24 season on a one-year qualifying offer, worth $17.5 million.

No NBA player has ever left anything close to $190 million guaranteed on the table while playing on their rookie contract in order to become a free agent.

The worst-case-scenario for the Pelicans might be similar to what they faced with Anthony Davis. The No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft asked for a trade during his second contract with New Orleans. The Pelicans traded Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers after seven seasons, right as they were preparing to draft Williamson.

Heading into the summer of 2019, Davis listed the Lakers and Knicks as the only two teams to whom he wanted to be traded. There were countless rumors that Kevin Durant was planning on signing with the Knicks in free agency. Kyrie Irving was also linked to New York.

The Knicks didn’t sign any of the aforementioned stars, and they failed to draft Williamson. New York had another losing season in 2019-20 and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year.

Randle was the Knicks’ consolation prize two summers ago. The forward has morphed into an All-Star, playing better than any Knick since Carmelo Anthony was an MVP candidate in 2013.

The Knicks’ perception among players around the league might be changing in light of this year’s success. Superstars have more say than ever regarding where they play, highlighted by the fact that they are successfully forcing trades with multiple years left on their contracts.

But many things would have to go right for a union between Williamson and the Knicks. The club would have to effectively shed their underachieving reputation by the time Williamson looks to move on, own the acceptable assets to offer the Pelicans and still maintain enough talent to surround their much-awaited superstar.