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Seven or eight games at the start of the season is enough time to make sweeping generalizations about teams and who they should try to trade. Apparently. The NBA trade rumor mill never stops grinding, so here is the latest on some big names. Zion Williamson For the fourth consecutive year, Zion Williamson has been sidelined with a hamstring injury (this is a Grade 1 strain expected to keep him out 7-10 days). Combine that with New Orleans’ 2-6 start and bottom-five offense and defense in the league — and a reminder that Joe Dumars came in and traded away their first-round pick next season to move up 10 spots and draft Derik Queen — and there are calls for change in the Big Easy. However, trading Zion is not much of an option because there is no market for him, something Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst got into at ESPN. From Windhorst: Stated simply, even with his unusual non-guaranteed contract over the next two years that offers the franchise protection, Williamson’s trade value isn’t super high. “To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” a rival executive said. “His trade value isn’t there and they are facing some pressure to win.” Dumars knows there is no Zion trade market. That’s why he came in last summer and backed Zion, choosing not to try to trade the former No. 1 pick, because he understood there wouldn’t be enough value in return, a league source told NBC Sports. Dumars needed Zion to have a strong season, raise that value, then he would have options. So far, that has not come to pass, and if there is clamoring for change in New Orleans, it could be coach Willie Green who pays the price. Ja Morant As written about this week at NBC Sports, league sources have told us there is not much of a trade market for Morant right now, and any offers for him at this point would be lowball ones looking for a steal. Minnesota and Sacramento are reportedly interested, not Houston (why take the ball out of the hands of Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant? The Rockets need a floor general at the point). Memphis is in a tough spot because Morant is still a player people pay to see in a small market, and the business side of the equation matters, as Tim Bontemps mentions at ESPN. In talking with various sources around the league, Morant is still viewed as a borderline top-10 player at the position -- and that’s before factoring in the previous off-court issues -- but there aren’t many teams around the league in need of a starting point guard ... “He sells shoes, he sells tickets, and he wants to play in Memphis when no one wants to,” a Western Conference assistant coach said. “So it makes for a really, really difficult situation.” Now, if the Grizzlies were to decide to make a major change, there would be a lot of interest in former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson, ESPN notes. Trae Young It’s hard to make any call on Young with him out for at least another three weeks with a sprained knee. Young can opt out and become a free agent next summer, but Atlanta’s new front office was wisely being patient, not really negotiating on an extension with the All-Star. The Hawks want to see how Young and Kristaps Porzingis fit together (and with the rest of the talented players on this roster, such as Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels) before committing to anything. Young and Porzingis have played just 51 minutes together this season, way too few to make any kind of assessment. That said, one executive told ESPN that Atlanta would listen to trade offers. “Atlanta is good enough to keep Trae and be good and make the playoffs,” an East executive said. “But with the pick and Jalen, Dyson and [Zaccharie Risacher], they’ll at least pick up the phone and listen when called.” If Young leaves Atlanta, a sign-and-trade next offseason seems the most likely scenario. The more likely scenario is that he stays, but there is no need to make a call either way until we see more of what these Hawks could be healthy. LaMelo Ball Much like the Hawks’ situation, the Hornets came into this season optimistic and wanting to see what a lineup featuring their star point guard, Ball, Brandon Miller, and No. 4 pick last June, Kon Knueppel, looked like. So far, we have seen that trio healthy and on the court together for 16 minutes in one game. The big questions have yet to be answered, and Miller with out with a shoulder injury and no timeline for a return it could be a while before we get answers. The situation in Charlotte with Ball also echoes what is happening in Memphis in one key way: the star player is very popular in the market and helps sell tickets, while his trade value around the league is not high enough to have the Hornets considering a deal. Here is what one scout told ESPN: “Would someone take a flier on him? For sure. But Charlotte isn’t taking a flier price for him.” Again, a Ball trade is more likely next offseason than at the deadline. The Hornets will be patient, they want to see what this core can do together when healthy (which could boost Ball’s trade value). How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock
