Zion is reportedly extremely frustrated with his injuries! Experts analyze the situation: the former number one overall pick now holds almost no trade value.

On December 4th Beijing time, Pelicans head coach Willie Green addressed Zion’s long-term absence caused by a groin injury, sharing that Zion is very upset. Three top ESPN experts also analyzed Zion’s condition, believing he nearly lacks any trade value at present.

Green stated, “Nobody desires to stay on the court more than Zion. He loves basketball, adores this city, and takes great pride wearing the team’s uniform. He will stand by us here, and we will support him. We are brothers, one family, and that is the belief we must hold onto tightly.Although he is extremely frustrated about this, no one is going to pity usand we won’t indulge in self-pity either; we will recommit to training. It’s time to gear up and move forward.”

Since being drafted in 2019, Zion has missed 55% of the Pelicans’ games he could have played, including the entire 2021-2022 season.This season, when Zion is on the court, the Pelicans’ net rating per 100 possessions improves by 10 points.

Salary cap expert Max said, “Zion’s contract is one of the most unique rookie max extensions we’ve ever seen. He has three years left; this season’s roughly $40 million salary is guaranteed, but the remaining two seasons are non-guaranteed with a July 15th guarantee trigger date. So for teams interested in acquiring Zion, as long as they don’t give up high-value assets, trading for him carries little risk. This contract is very unusual—like I said, if no draft picks or core players are sacrificed, bringing him in is a low-risk move.”

Former NBA player Danny Green commented, “It’s really unfortunate. I expected this year to be Zion’s comeback year. Whether gaining or losing weight, he never quite got his body into peak shape. Seeing his current situation is painful. Logically, he shouldn’t have waited until the contract’s non-guaranteed period or contract year to get in shape, but this season he did show determination—he started controlling his diet, committed to training, and took care of his body, becoming what everyone hoped for. Yet even at his career-best physical condition, injuries still struck. It’s heartbreaking, and I feel for him and the team.”

Expert Winhorst said, “The team has tried almost everything to keep Zion healthy: changing training staff, hiring a personal chef, adjusting the coaching team. Zion himself has switched agents and modified his training methods. Believe me, they’ve consulted experts worldwide and medical professionals everywhere, constantly trying new approaches.”

“Regarding the contract issue mentioned earlier, due to frequent injuries, Zion currently holds almost no trade value for the Pelicans, making it difficult for the team to get equal returns in exchange for him.Moreover, the team’s first-round pick swap rights have already been traded to the Hawks, meaning they don’t control a first-round pick this year. Thus, the team urgently needs to win as many games as possible. Although this is a well-worn topic, I believe the future path for the team and Zion should be as Green said: continue supporting him and do everything possible to keep him healthy and allow him to become the dominant player he’s capable of.”