National Basketball Association

NBA odds: Lines on Zion Williamson's next team, from Knicks to Lakers

Published Mar. 1, 2022 3:54 p.m. ET

New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson has been in the news recently amid rumors he is unhappy with his situation, rehabbing in Portland, and possibly on the move. With that in mind, this is the perfect time to ask: If Zion leaves, where will he end up?

For that, we turned to Colin Cowherd and the oddsmakers at FOX Bet for their thoughts on Williamson's potential next destination in the NBA.

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Before jumping into that discussion, let's get to the facts. For starters, Zion Williamson is simply a force of nature. Last season — his second in the NBA — Zion played in 60 games and posted averages of 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting a ridiculous 61% from the field. For comparisons’ sake, Hall of Famer Shaquille O' Neal averaged 29.3 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 60% from the field.

While that comparison undoubtedly puts Zion in rare air, the fact is he has only played in 85 games as his third season in the association comes to a close. However, this is not unheard of as a few top picks have also been hampered early on in the modern NBA.

Per FOX Sports Research, here is a list of players that were hindered with injuries early in their career and how they fared.

Joel Embiid: (third overall pick in 2014, did not play his rookie season until the 2016-17 season) He played in 94 games in his first two seasons, averaging 21.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG (his breakout season followed in year 3, averaging 27.5 PPG and 13.6 RPG).
Greg Oden (first overall pick, 2007) played in 82 games his first two seasons, averaging 10.0 PPG and 7.8 RPG; he only played one more season in the NBA after that.
Sam Bowie (second overall pick, 1984) played in 114 games in his first two seasons, averaging 10.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG; he then only played in 25 games over the next two seasons due to injury (did end up playing 10 seasons in NBA).
Bill Walton (first overall pick, 1974) played in 86 games in his first two seasons, averaging 14.5 PPG and 13.0 RPG; never played a full season in the NBA and missed three full seasons due to injury (played 10 seasons in NBA, not including three he missed).

Although Walton did go on to win MVP and a championship, Embiid is clearly the one player on this list you would hope Zion's path can follow. But the big question is, will he fulfill that promise with the Pelicans or elsewhere?

Monday on "FOX Bet Live," Jason Mcintyre and Colin Cowherd discussed the situation down in NOLA (8:00 mark).

"He hasn't played a game this year. There are reports out of New Orleans that he just is not intrigued in playing for David Griffin the GM… What's the move with Zion Williamson and how can New Orleans salvage this?" McIntyre asked.

Cowherd responded with "You cross your fingers and hope he gets in shape." Cowherd then went on to say he doesn't think the situation is "salvageable" and he doesn't even believe New Orleans will have a team in five years given how they went through similar long-term commitment issues with Chris Paul and Anthony Davis.

So with those remarks in mind, we asked FOX Bet trader Dylan Brossman the hypothetical odds on where Zion may end up playing next season.

Odds for Zion Williamson's team during the 2022-2023 NBA Season

New Orleans Pelicans: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
New York Knicks: +175 (bet $10 to win $27.50 total)
Atlanta Hawks: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Los Angeles Lakers: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Golden State Warriors: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
San Antonio Spurs: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Chicago Bulls: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)

A few tidbits:

-With his college teammates — Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett — in New York, oddsmakers believe the Knicks have the best chance of landing Zion if he were to leave Nola. If Zion regains his form on Broadway, the league would have a superstar team in Manhattan that will be like nothing the NBA has ever seen.

-If the Hawks are able to pair Trae Young with Williamson, the rest of the league will be in trouble. The inside/outside combination these two would bring would rival the old NBA Jam Arcade game, quickly making for must-see television.

-Although long shots on this list, can you imagine Zach Lavine, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams and Zion running down the court? A squad with that much talent would rival the 90s Bulls.

So, there you have it. Will Zion Williamson stay in New Orleans, or will he be moving onto greener pastures elsewhere? Buckle up for what should be an interesting offseason in New Orleans.

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