Zion Williamson has already been mentioned as a potential mid-season trade target for the Golden State Warriors, and his desire to shoot more threes this season could suddenly make the former number one overall even more intriuging.
As outlined by NBA insider Marc Stein on Sunday night, Williamson is looking to become more of a perimeter threat this season after living almost exclusively around the paint over the past few seasons.
Zion Williamson's shooting makes him an even bigger Warriors target
Williamson took only four 3s last season —total. But I watched him work on it pregame Wednesday and then launch four (albeit without a make) in the Pelicans' preseason finale against Washington," Stein wrote.
Williamson wound up shooting seven threes during 73 preseason minutes. That's nothing absurd, but it's still a notable aspect compared to last season's numbers. He also only made one of those seven attempts, but even being willing to take threes could make both his team, and himself individually, all the more dangerous offensively.
From a Golden State perspective, Williamson being willing to take threes could make him an even better fit in their system -- one that led the league in 3-point attempts last season and is likely to lean heavily on it again when their campaign starts on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 26-year-old set the NBA world alight with four made threes in his debut game way back in 2019, but has made just 17 total threes over the past four years, including a career-low one from those four attempts last season.
Zion Williamson could be just the risk Warriors need to take
For a team in desperate need of more star power, yet one that also clearly wants to protect its future, Williamson could just be the type of calculated risk the Warriors need to take to brighten up the short and long-term outlook.
There should still be serious intrigue on how he'd fare outside New Orleans, and whether he can prosper in a new environment that has a level of history when it comes to organizational success. There's no doubting his talent, having averaged 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists across his career while shooting on 59.1% shooting from the floor -- much of which stems from his propensity not to shoot outside the paint.
If Williamson can add a new string to his bow and just be respectable from beyond the arc, his stock as a potential buy-low, high upside mid-season trade candidate becomes even worthwhile to a team like the Warriors.
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