Zion Williamson continues to prove why Warriors should stay far away

As the trade deadline approaches, the Golden State Warriors have been repeatedly linked through trade rumors to New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson. However, his recent conduct with his team should eliminate him from consideration despite the franchise's need for more offensive firepower.

After reportedly being late to the team's flight to Philadelphia to face the 76ers, Williamson was suspended one game by the organization for failing to meet team standards.

The Warriors should have no interest in trading for Zion Williamson

Williamson, suffice to say, has had his fair share of problems with the Pelicans since he came into the league as the number one overall pick in 2019. A variety of injuries have limited him to only 192 NBA games, and he missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.

In addition, his contract with the Pelicans involves a number of clauses related to his weight and training, a clear sign that the organization does not trust him to be responsible for his conditioning on his own.

The 24-year-old missed a large chunk of this season already with another hamstring injury, having only played in eight games so far. In those 8 games, however, he has performed spectacularly, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 30.3 minutes. In his return from injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he threw down a nasty dunk that assuaged many of the health concerns surrounding him this season.

Yet the Pelicans, who have dealt heavily with injuries this season and are currently 8-32, are clearly frustrated with Williamson. While they might be looking to move on from the young player, the Warriors should not be a potential trade partner.

As the Warriors flounder around .500, there is a growing feeling amongst fans and analysts that the Warriors will make a serious move prior to the trade deadline. Despite having already acquired Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets, they continue to struggle on offense, and their recent loss of Jonathan Kuminga to injury has clearly illustrated their need to add another piece.

While Trayce Jackson-Davis has elevated his play recently, he has been physically outplayed by a spattering of star big men in recent games including Joel Embiid and Domantas Sabonis.

While Williamson doesn't quite fill the positional gap, he could provide a dominating force to the Warrior offense. His ability to drive to the rim and make flashy plays could elevate the entire offense, including the playmaking abilities of Curry and Schröder.

In addition to the prevalent injury concerns, Williamson's recent suspension from the Pelicans has proven, once again, that he does not take the game of basketball seriously enough on a fundamental level to stay effective as a professional.

As Willie Green indicated, this is not a one-time occurence as Zion's professionalism has become a problem within the Pelicans organization. As Draymond Green and Steph Curry continue to enter their twilight years, why bring in such a high-risk piece? Why give up future draft capital or internally developed players for someone who doesn't take the game seriously?

While the Warriors certainly need to make a move to improve the roster, they should look elsewhere in the NBA to patch up their offensive woes.