<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-jeff-teague-grim-zion-williamson-retirement-prediction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jeff Teague makes grim retirement prediction for Pelicans’ Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Williamson-vs-the-Timberwolves.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jeff Teague makes grim retirement prediction for Pelicans’ Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T10:32:40-07:00">June 29th, 10:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T10:32:40-07:00">June 29th, 10:32am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/bill-simmons-calls-pelicans-draft-trade-with-hawks-one-of-dumbest-of-decade">New Orleans Pelicans have had</a> a busy offseason so far, recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-stephen-a-smith-calls-jeremiah-fears-the-second-coming-of-kyrie-irving">drafting both Jeremiah Fears</a> and Derik Queen in the first round of the NBA Draft to try to kickstart their franchise. The Pelicans are coming off of a disastrous 2024-25 season in which they finished with the second worst record in the Western Conference, thanks in no small part due to injury.</p><p>While most teams may be able to chalk that up to an unlucky year, the injury concern is perpetually hanging over the Pelicans’ heads due to the presence of Zion Williamson on their roster.</p><p>Williamson has missed more games than he has played so far in his five-year NBA career, and recently, former NBA All-Star point guard Jeff Teague made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=69&amp;v=8ENOgTmLHVM&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener">a grim prediction</a> about Williamson’s future.</p><p>“He isn’t going to ever play. Like Zion’s going to retire in two years. Bro, you think he’s going to play until he’s 30?” wondered Teague, via his Club 520 podcast.</p><p>Teague then clarified that he would give Williamson “four years max.”</p><p>Williamson has dealt with a wide array of injuries throughout his career but remains one of the game’s most unique players when he is on the floor.</p><h2><b>A consequential season for the Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremiah-Fears-selected-by-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In order to draft Derik Queen in the first round, newly minted Pelicans general manager and NBA Hall of Famer Joe Dumars traded away the team’s right to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2026 draft, meaning that whoever has the more favorable of those two picks next year will see that selection be shipped to the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>It was a hefty price to pay to draft Queen, whose fit next to Williamson would appear to be suspect on paper.</p><p>Teams generally don’t trade unprotected first round picks unless they are quite confident that they will be a good team in the ensuing year, and it’s unclear where that confidence is coming from for Dumars, as the Pelicans have several injury red flags on their roster and also will play at least part of the season without starting point guard Dejounte Murray.</p><p>Still, sometimes swinging for the fences can pay off.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jeff Teague makes grim retirement prediction for Pelicans’ Zion Williamson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-joe-dumars-cj-mccollum-pelicans-stressing-second-chances-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Joe Dumars stressing second chances amid Zion Williamson drama');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Pelicans-news-Joe-Dumars-stressing-second-chances-amid-Zion-Williamson-drama.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Joe Dumars stressing second chances amid Zion Williamson drama</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T13:55:39-07:00">June 23rd, 1:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T13:59:24-07:00">June 23rd, 1:59pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was apt that construction sounds could be heard bouncing off the Smoothie King Center’s walls during the “Beyond the Record: Second Chances Summit” hosted by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/sources-pelicans-not-completely-shutting-door-herb-jones-trey-murphy-iii-trades-nba">Zion Williamson’s open-for-business New Orleans Pelicans</a>. This is a city accustomed to constant remodeling by well-monied interests as the community’s greater individual needs get drowned out by tourist revelries after all. Still, an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-owner-gayle-benson-breaks-silence-zion-williamson-rape-lawsuit">ever-graceful Gayle Benson opened the show</a> with tender respect; Joe Dumars and CJ McCollum stuck around to hear the stories and <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/photos/gayle-benson-joe-dumars-cj-mccollum-beyond-the-record-second-chances-summit-community-photos-june-6-2025" rel="noopener">share some tears</a> in a touching, culture-building convention.</p><p>“It is critically important to educate business leaders,” Benson began. “Understand that individuals who qualify for these opportunities have earned and are deserving of a second chance.”</p><p>Hosted in partnership with the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition, the Justice &amp; Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC), and Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) brought out over 1000 community members looking for new hope near a basketball court. The summit sought to address real-world barriers and highlight actionable solutions that could drive further community-driven reform.</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans continue to demonstrate what it means to lead with purpose,” said James Cadogan, Executive Director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. “Through this Second Chances Summit, they’ve not only opened doors for individuals impacted by the justice system, they’ve also set a powerful example of how basketball can drive real change.”</p><p>Finding the mercy and grace to bless someone with a fresh slate takes character, compassion, and most importantly, some understanding of one’s situation. You cannot help the headlines, regardless of what is actually said or done. Joe Dumars is hoping that mindset permeates the culture a bit more with the Pelicans moving forward.</p><p>“There are people out here that care…trying to reach people, trying to help people,” Dumars added. “Many of the players that I signed (with the Detroit Pistons) were guys that other teams had given up on.”</p><p>Giving up when things are tough will not going to be in the cards with an accountability-driven Dumars in charge. CJ McCollum was just glad no one gave up on him decades ago.</p><p>“I was the kind of kid that would go left,” McCollum admitted. “But my brother would go right, so I followed him. That kind of saved me. I just think a lot of us need second chances.”</p><p>CJ McCollum and Joe Dumars were not the only influencers in the Smoothie King Center, of course. Several campaigning for office (or already elected) decided to stop by as well; Senator Royce Duplessis served as a panel member. A few even stuck around for the entire event, making a lasting impression with many in the crowd looking to regain voting rights.</p><p>“Laws and policy are not enough,” Congressman Troy Carter stressed. “We need community.”</p><p>Well, that, some attention on a small market team trying to make an impression, and good health. The Pelicans want to make the postseason next summer after all. Nothing would bring the fanbase together more than an NBA Finals run with Zion Williamson leading the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Joe Dumars stressing second chances amid Zion Williamson drama

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-hit-with-focal-point-label-by-joe-dumars');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson hit with ‘focal point’ label by Joe Dumars');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zion-Williamson-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson hit with ‘focal point’ label by Joe Dumars</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T10:58:13-07:00">June 4th, 10:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T12:56:52-07:00">June 4th, 12:56pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-offers-to-feature-bad-contracts-no-picks">rumors have surrounded New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson</a>, the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, spoke about the plans surrounding the former No. 1 overall pick. Away from basketball, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing">Pelicans player in Williamson also has allegations of rape</a> according to a recent lawsuit, adding more controversy to the 24-year-old.</p><p>Despite the immense amount of speculation around Williamson and possibly being dealt this offseason, Dumars would say to Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune that the team will move “forward” with the star. He would even go as far as to say that Williamson will <a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/zion-williamson-to-remain-the-cornerstone-of-pelicans/article_8aead765-a4fc-4757-b4bb-4f02303a3e43.html" rel="noopener">“continue to be a focal point”</a> for the franchise.</p><p>“I’ve had really good conversations with Zion,” Dumars said. “We’ve had lunch. Dinner. Watched playoff games together. We’ve done it all. I’ve had some real, honest conversations with him. Some real, direct, and honest conversations. We’re going to go forward with Zion. He’s going to continue to be a focal point here as we go forward.”</p><p>It seems as if Dumars and Williamson have cemented a relationship together, even mentioning when they attended the NBA Draft Lottery this past May.</p><p>“I sent him to the lottery for a reason,” Dumars said. “I want him to start focusing on the responsibilities of being the best player here and the focal point. There are some responsibilities that come with that. Go represent your organization.”</p><h2><b>Some within Pelicans speak about the allegations against Zion Williamson</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While some of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-owner-gayle-benson-breaks-silence-zion-williamson-rape-lawsuit">Pelicans have broken their silence over the allegations</a> against Williams, such as owner Gayle Benson, it seems as if she downplayed the news. Saying that “people can sue you for anything” when asked about the recent court filing in Los Angeles which accusses Willamson of rape and assault in 2020.</p><p>“You know, lawsuits are lawsuits,” Benson said. “You really can’t, you don’t know. I mean, people can sue you for anything. There’s no reason. You can be innocent or not. It’s just something that people do, unfortunately.”</p><p>Dumars wouldn’t give his full thoughts on the matter since he doesn’t delve into legal matters.</p><p>“I’ve been advised not to venture into any of his legal issues,” Dumars said.</p><p>Speaking about Williamson’s ventures on the court, it’s been an arguable mixed bag as he’s a two-time All-Star, but has missed a ton of time with injuries.</p><p>“We’ve had some real direct conversations with him about that,” Dumars said. “Expectations. Accountability. That’s our plan going forward with Zion.”</p><p>At any rate, New Orleans is looking to vastly improve after finishing last season with a 21-61 record, which put them 14th in the Western Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson hit with ‘focal point’ label by Joe Dumars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-owner-gayle-benson-breaks-silence-zion-williamson-rape-lawsuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-03T13:42:48-07:00">June 3rd, 1:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-03T13:42:48-07:00">June 3rd, 1:42pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans’ star forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing">Zion Williamson is facing legal trouble</a>, as he’s in a lawsuit facing rape allegations. The organization has been quiet about the allegations so far; however, on Tuesday, team owner Gayle Benson broke her silence and addressed the situation.</p><p>While talking with reporters of WWL-TV, an affiliate of CBS News based in New Orleans, Benson sort of brushed Williamson’s lawsuit <a href="https://x.com/WWLTV/status/1929973032514109596" rel="noopener">off her shoulders</a>, claiming that people sue others for all sorts of reasons. Zion Williamson is innocent until proven guilty, and that’s the exact approach the Pelicans’ owner is taking on this matter. Benson is seemingly supporting Williamson with the lawsuit ongoing.</p><p>“You know, lawsuits are lawsuits… People can sue for anything. There’s no reason. You can be innocent or not. So, it’s just something that people do. Unfortunately.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gayle Benson on Zion Williamson lawsuit: 'People can sue you for anything'</p><p>Full story:<a href="https://t.co/gF9zHRGHUx">https://t.co/gF9zHRGHUx</a> <a href="https://t.co/bIQtXWWxXM">pic.twitter.com/bIQtXWWxXM</a></p><p>— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWLTV/status/1929973032514109596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Zion Williamson faces serous allegations that involve rape, physical assault, and death threats. Shortly after the lawsuit was made public, Williamson’s legal team <a href="https://x.com/WillGuillory/status/1928520188581863529" rel="noopener">issued a statement,</a> acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations while also denying them, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic.</p><p>“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Williamson’s legal team said in a statement. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zion Williamson's legal team releases a statement addressing the recent allegations against him <a href="https://t.co/dgQzbz9527">pic.twitter.com/dgQzbz9527</a></p><p>— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillGuillory/status/1928520188581863529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The 24-year-old forward has not made any public statements regarding the allegations. Instead, Zion Williamson is letting his legal team take charge of the lawsuit. In the meantime, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-offers-to-feature-bad-contracts-no-picks">the Pelicans star is involved in trade rumors</a> with the offseason quickly approaching.</p><p>Williamson played just 30 games for New Orleans this season as he’s been dealing with a bone bruise in his lower back. However, when healthy, he is undeniably one of the best players on the court. Zion Williamson ended the 2024-25 campaign averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 56.7% from the floor and 23.1% from the three-point line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/attorney-declines-representing-moriah-mills-in-zion-williamson-case');   ga('set', 'title', 'Attorney declines representing Moriah Mills in Zion Williamson case');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Attorney-declines-representing-Moriah-Mills-in-Zion-Williamson-case.jpg"></figure><h1>Attorney declines representing Moriah Mills in Zion Williamson case</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-03T12:19:02-07:00">June 3rd, 12:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-03T12:19:02-07:00">June 3rd, 12:19pm</time><address><a href="http://designsux.com">Burtland Dixon</a>As an avid enthusiast of entertainment, Burtland Dixon is a passionate individual who revels in the magic of movies, sports, music, and pop culture. Whether it's catching the latest blockbuster, watching the marquee matchup of the week, attending live concerts, or getting immersed in the world of gaming, Burtland finds joy in all forms of entertainment.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Moriah Mills won’t be heading into any potential legal battle with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/moriah-mills-reveals-possible-lawsuit-plans-against-zion-williamson">Zion Williamson</a> backed by powerhouse attorney Tony Buzbee. The high-profile lawyer <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/03/tony-buzbee-declines-to-represent-moriah-mills-in-case-vs-zion-williamson/" rel="noopener">confirmed he declined to take</a> Mills’ case after she reached out seeking representation regarding unspecified legal action she’s been considering against the Pelicans star, per TMZ.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Moriah Mills contacted attorney Tony Buzbee about suing NBA star Zion Williamson—but Buzbee declined to take her case, stating that they reviewed her claims and chose not to represent her.</p><p>Buzbee offered no further comment on her allegations.</p><p>“We can’t help them all.” <a href="https://t.co/JaHpcVoFhq">pic.twitter.com/JaHpcVoFhq</a></p><p>— No Jumper (@nojumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/nojumper/status/1929948637661999466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>“A member of our staff spoke to her,” Buzbee told TMZ Sports. “<b>After review we declined to take her case.</b>” While he wouldn’t elaborate on the reasons, he noted that his firm hears from people across the country daily and only selects a few cases to pursue. Mills later confirmed that Buzbee passed on the opportunity, saying her situation didn’t align with the kind of litigation he typically handles.</p><p>This development comes amid renewed controversy surrounding Williamson. Last week, a separate woman filed a sexual assault lawsuit accusing him of a five-year pattern of abuse, including allegations of rape and physical, emotional, and financial harm. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe, says she dated Williamson during his freshman year at Duke and continued their relationship through 2023. She is seeking monetary damages for emotional distress.</p><p>Williamson, through his legal team, has denied all claims in the lawsuit. “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” his attorneys said in a statement shared with ESPN. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”</p><p>As for Mills, her prior history with Zion Williamson has mostly played out online. Roughly two years ago, she unleashed a string of damning social media posts, including one where she accused him of being intimate with her shortly before he announced his partner’s pregnancy. Whether she plans to continue pursuing legal action without Buzbee remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Attorney declines representing Moriah Mills in Zion Williamson case

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trade-offers-to-feature-bad-contracts-no-picks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-on-March-17-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-03T08:05:35-07:00">June 3rd, 8:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-03T08:05:35-07:00">June 3rd, 8:05am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trey-murphy-iii-no-longer-untouchable">New Orleans Pelicans reportedly have no untouchables</a> on their team in regards to possible trades this offseason, the one name that has been centered around rumors has been Zion Williamson. With the recent <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing">Los Angeles court filing that accuses the Pelicans forward of rape</a>, there’s no doubt that there could be teams looking the other way in acquiring him.</p><p>However, Shamit Dua of The N.O. podcast would give insight into how the rest of the league looks at the Williamson situation. Saying if a team were to offer a package for Williamson, New Orleans would get back<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfUX0WuSu0A&amp;t=1909s" rel="noopener"> “really bad contracts and likely no picks,”</a> giving an example with the Miami Heat.</p><p>“I’ve just been texting random executives across the league,” Dua said. “I was like, this is straight off asking people, like, would anyone touch Zion with a 10-foot pole? And there seems to be this general idea of like you kind of saw it with with like Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis that like there will be teams that do not necessarily care about the reputation provided they have enough general information to know that this is going to get settled out of court and the allegations won’t stick.”</p><p>“There will be teams who do not care, but those teams who do not care need to be sufficiently desperate, one, and two, they’re not going to give you anything of value,” Dua continued. “So you’re going to get really bad contracts and likely no picks. But if you do get a pick, it’s a late pick. So an example would be Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson for Zion and some small salary just to kind of make it even.”</p><h2><b>No Pelicans, including Zion Williamson, are untouchable</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-on-March-19-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-urged-wild-jaylen-brown-zion-williamson-trade">rumors of the Pelicans trading Williamson</a> will be ongoing throughout the summer, the question is if some teams want to have a player on the roster with allegations like rape. But as Dua said, there will be teams that “do not care,” but could get a relatively good deal out of him with the bad contracts and lack of picks as mentioned.</p><p>If there’s one thing for sure, the former first-overall pick <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-30-top-prospects-returned-to-college-but-plenty-of-talent-remains-heres-our-latest-look-at-every-pick-160546750.html" rel="noopener">is not untouchable</a>, or anybody on New Orleans for that matter, as said by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.</p><p>“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster,” O’Connor reports. “They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer, depending on what opportunities become available.”</p><p>The Pelicans are looking to improve after finishing with a 21-61 record, which put them 14th in the West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson trade offers to feature ‘bad contracts, no picks’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sneakers/zion-williamson-releases-new-jordan-zion-4-iridescence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zion Williamson releases new Jordan Zion 4 ‘Iridescence’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zion-Williamson-drops-new-Jordan-Zion-4-Iridescence.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson releases new Jordan Zion 4 ‘Iridescence’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-02T15:04:18-07:00">June 2nd, 3:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-02T15:04:37-07:00">June 2nd, 3:04pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have numerous questions to answer throughout this offseason, but it’s certain that former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will be at the center of their plans. Although the 2024-25 season didn’t necessarily go according to plan, Williamson continues to expand his reach over at Jordan Brand as one of their signature athletes. Most recently, Jordan Brand dropped a new “Iridescence” colorway of the Jordan Zion 4.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>Zion Williamson first signed to Jordan Brand in 2019 shortly after being drafted to the NBA. It wasn’t long before the debut Jordan Zion 1 released in 2021 and Williamson officially began his signature sneaker journey. Four shoes in, he joins other names like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum as the faces of Jordan Brand Basketball.</p><p>The Jordan Zion 4 features the latest in Jordan Brand Basketball technology and is specifically designed to withstand the explosive game of the athletic freak they’re connected to. Contrasted with the blue tones on the Pelicans uniforms, Williamson will have another clean shoe to opt for on game days.</p><h2>Jordan Zion 4 “Iridescence”</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">OFFICIAL LOOK: Jordan Zion 4 “Iridescence” ⚡️<a href="https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Zionwilliamson</a></p><p>🗓️ May 29th<br>📝 FB1802-400<br>💵 $140 <a href="https://t.co/AAK1fIkrat">pic.twitter.com/AAK1fIkrat</a></p><p>— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoleRetriever/status/1927762334560227522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="es">Jordan Zion 4 “Iridescence” 🦋</p><p>RELEASE INFO: <a href="https://t.co/TtIkoHWFi4">https://t.co/TtIkoHWFi4</a> <a href="https://t.co/iTOSnroUkL">pic.twitter.com/iTOSnroUkL</a></p><p>— Sneaker Bar Detroit (@SBDetroit) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBDetroit/status/1923791391584370949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>This <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-jordan-zion-4-releasing-summer-2025">Jordan Zion 4</a> arrives in <em>Light Photo Blue/Black/Blue Gaze/Coast </em>for an extremely vibrant and coherent ensemble. As the name suggests, the shoes feature iridescent blue hues throughout the upper, particularly around the ankle color. The “wave” pattern along the rest of the upper adds depth with various shades interacting and extending down into a matching midsole and translucent blue outsole.</p></figure><p>Finer details will reveal an AirZoom plate along the midfoot for added energy return, accompanied by a black Jordan Jumpman logo. The tongue, laces, and sockliner are done in black for a clean contrast while we see Zion’s personal logo etched onto the tongue. While this shoe hasn’t been particularly popular in the eyes of the public, this is certainly a clean colorway that’s sure to look great on the court.</p><p>The Jordan Zion 4 “Iridescence” is now available via <a href="http://nike.com">Nike</a> and <a href="https://stockx.com/air-jordan-zion-4-iridescence">Jordan Brand retailers</a>. The shoes come in full sizing and are available for $175 as they reflect added performance capabilities. What do you think of the latest from Jordan Brand and Zion Williamson?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson releases new Jordan Zion 4 ‘Iridescence’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/moriah-mills-reveals-possible-lawsuit-plans-against-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Moriah Mills reveals possible lawsuit plans against Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Moriah-Mills-reveals-possible-lawsuit-plans-against-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>Moriah Mills reveals possible lawsuit plans against Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-01T10:33:33-07:00">June 1st, 10:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-01T10:33:33-07:00">June 1st, 10:33am</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Moriah Mills might be taking legal action against Zion Williamson.</p><p>According to TMZ, Mills has contacted trial lawyer Tony Buzbee, and he is <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/05/31/moriah-mills-moriah-mills-contacts-tony-buzbee-mulling-zion-williamson-lawsuit/" rel="noopener">currently “evaluating her claims.”</a> Buzbee has defended women going after legal action against male celebrities such as Jay-Z and, most recently, Shannon Sharpe.</p><p>Mills’ claims have not been made public, but she was allegedly in a secret relationship with Williamson back in 2023. That November, the NBA star welcomed his first baby with his girlfriend Ahkeema. The pair had a daughter named Azira. That’s when Mills and Williamson’s alleged relationship got exposed as she claimed they were intimate days before the athlete announced he was having a child with another woman.</p><p>The social media personality did not speak about the lawsuit but told the outlet that there was a shift in Williamson that she did not expect.</p><p>“This is not the man that I met a few years back,” she told TMZ. “This is not who I thought you would become. … I just hope you change your ways because your job and your family and your legacy is on the line.”</p><p>In a TikTok video, Mills shares that she has been harassed online following speaking out about her prior relationship with Williamson. She also hinted on what the lawsuit could be about as she claims that she wants “justice” for how she has been treated.</p><p>“It’s causing me a lot of stress, emotional distress. I just hope that we all can come to justice and this all can be resolved and nobody has to relive all these things ever again,” she said.</p><h2>Zion Williamson Accused Of Rape</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Troy-Taormina-Imagn-Images-1.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Mills’ potential lawsuit follows a recent report that the Pelicans star has a lawsuit filed against him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing" rel="noopener">that is accusing him of rape and “abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior.”</a></p><p>Williamson has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45393231/zion-williamson-sued-allegations-rape-years-abuse" rel="noopener">denied the allegation</a>s and claims that he and the woman had a “consensual, casual relationship” that ended years ago and that “at no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns.”</p><p>“While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson,” the attorneys said.</p><p>The woman’s attorney, Sam Taylor II, said they are going to be”very cautious about litigating this in the press.”</p><p>“This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed,” Taylor said.</p><p>Taylor adds that his client — who has been named Jane Doe in legal documents —  is “genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Moriah Mills reveals possible lawsuit plans against Zion Williamson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-trey-murphy-iii-no-longer-untouchable');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_1601.jpeg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-30T18:16:49-07:00">May 30th, 6:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-30T18:16:49-07:00">May 30th, 6:16pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans shook up their front office this year when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-hire-joe-dumars-after-firing-david-griffin">fired David Griffin and hired Joe Dumars</a> as the new president of basketball operations. With the offseason approaching and the NBA Draft less than one month away, questions continue to surround the Pelicans in terms of what direction they will take this offseason. If rumors are to be believed, Pelicans stars Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III could be available via trade.</p><p>It’s not definitive at all that the Pelicans would make Zion Williamson or Trey Murphy available via trade, but the latest rumors say that <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft/mock/?view=default&amp;board=0&amp;filter=round%3Aall&amp;utm_content=bufferfe862&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">nobody on the roster is untouchable</a>, as per Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.</p><p>“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster,” O’Connor reports. “They very well could end up keeping their core pieces, but it appears the Pelicans are looking into taking different paths this summer depending on what opportunities become available.”</p><p>The Pelicans had a disappointing 2024-25 season that saw them <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/raptors-news-pelicans-trade-brandon-ingram-nba-deadline">trade Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors</a> at the deadline. They finished the season at 21-61 and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Despite having a good shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the draft by virtue of having the fourth-worst record in the NBA, they were bumped out of the top five and will draft at No. 7.</p><p>Part of what’s made the past few seasons disappointing for the Pelicans is they could never stay healthy. During this season alone, most of their top players, including Williamson, Ingram, Murphy, Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones all missed significant time due to injury. In Murray and Jones’ cases, they both suffered season-ending injuries.</p><p>This is a major offseason for the Pelicans as they are faced with the decision of either still trying to salvage this current core, or blowing it up and entering a rebuild.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III no longer untouchable

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-accused-rape-recent-la-court-filing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson accused of rape in recent LA court filing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pelicans-Zion-Williamson-.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson accused of rape in recent LA court filing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-30T09:41:40-07:00">May 30th, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-30T13:55:05-07:00">May 30th, 1:55pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson has been named the <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/05/30/zion-williamson-sued-for-rape-kidnapping/?adid=social-tw" rel="noopener">defendant in a lawsuit</a> filed against him in Los Angeles on Thursday. This lawsuit, which was submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Williamson raped, kidnapped, and terrorized the plaintiff, who is one of his exes, on multiple occasions throughout their yearslong relationship, according to TMZ.</p><p>The court documents obtained by TMZ filed by a Jane Doe state that she began dating Williamson in 2018 while he was still playing at Duke. In the lawsuit, she claims Williamson raped and assaulted her in Southern California on September 23, 2020, at the NBA star’s Beverly Hills home.</p><p>Per the lawsuit, the accuser states Williamson’s agent brought her to his home in Beverly Hills, however, he did not arrive home until the evening. When he returned home, she informed the defendant she was tired and wanted to go to sleep.</p><p>She then accused Williamson of calling her “stuck up” and a “b***h” and told her she could not go to sleep until engaging in sexual acts with him. The lawsuit goes on to claim Williamson pinned the accuser down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her.</p><p>On October 10, 2020, Doe accuses Williamson raped her again after finding out she was leaving to visit friends in San Diego. The documents obtained by TMZ accuse Williamson of then grabbing her phone and laptop following the alleged sexual assault, preventing her from getting medical care.</p><p>“These two incidents were not isolated,” the lawsuit states. It also claims Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.”</p><p>Further in the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims Williamson threatened to have his security guard shoot her in the head “multiple times.” It even goes as far as to claim Williamson pointed a loaded firearm at the woman’s head during a 2022 incident in Louisiana.</p><p>“We don’t want to litigate this case in the media,” Doe’s attorney, Sam E. Taylor of The Lanier Law Firm, told TMZ. “But I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the pleadings that have been filed and our client looks forward to her day in court to seek justice in this matter.”</p><p>Williamson’s legal team has <a href="https://x.com/WillGuillory/status/1928520188581863529" rel="noopener">since responded to the allegations</a>, claiming that they are taking this lawsuit with the “utmost seriousness”  and “unequivocally” deny them.</p><p>“This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys,” Williamson’s legal team said in a statement, via Will Guillory of The Athletic. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”</p><p>In this statement, Williamson’s representation claims that the Pelicans forward and the plaintiff never dated but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began when he was 18 years old.</p><p>Williamson has reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement in the past, and his legal team plans to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for what they are labeling as a “defamatory” lawsuit.</p><p>“We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.”</p><p>The Pelicans and NBA have yet to say anything about Williamson and the lawsuit.</p><p>The 24-year-old NBA All-Star recently finished his fifth season in the league and has been a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-joe-dumars-shuts-down-rumored-zion-williamson-trade-mandate">hot topic of trade discussion for the Pelicans</a>. He is under contract with the Pelicans through the 2027-28 season and is set to make $39.4 million next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson accused of rape in recent LA court filing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-bucks-star-ideal-zion-williamson-pelicans-partner');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Bucks-star-ideal-Zion-Williamson-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-26T11:54:47-07:00">May 26th, 11:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-26T11:54:47-07:00">May 26th, 11:54am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-why-pelicans-team-monitor-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade">Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans</a> are both in interesting positions as they enter the 2025 offseason. For Milwaukee, the future is completely unknown as it awaits to see if Giannis Antetokounmpo will be traded. New Orleans, meanwhile, would appear to be in a rebuild, but the question marks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson">around Zion Williamson</a> remain.</p><p>Williamson, the oft-injured superstar who has been much criticized for his weight, work ethic, and general off-the-court issues, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-decision-means-trade-talks">stunningly represented the Pelicans during the NBA Draft lottery</a> earlier this month. The move was reportedly a sign that New Orleans, despite reports indicating otherwise earlier in the offseason, plans to stick with Williamson for the time being as its cornerstone player.</p><p>If the Pelicans choose to do so, they will need to reshape the roster to give Williamson the help required to make the playoffs in a highly competitive Western Conference. And, according to ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the Pelicans<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45320766/nba-free-agent-rankings-futures-lebron-turner-more-stars" rel="noopener"> might look toward</a> Milwaukee to add reinforcements.</p><p>The Bucks will be without Damian Lillard for most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season as a result of a torn Achilles tendon. That, combined with another first-round playoff exit, has Antetokounmpo considering leaving Milwaukee 12 years after being drafted by the Bucks.</p><p>Whether he does or not, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-exec-makes-lakers-quip-about-bucks-star-not-giannis">Brook Lopez, who joined Antetokounmpo</a> and the Bucks back in 2018, could be on his way out of Milwaukee and, potentially, into New Orleans.</p><p>“Having turned 37 in April, Lopez has slowed as a rim protector, a factor in the Bucks taking him out of the starting lineup for the first time since March 2022 during Game 5 of their first-round loss to the Pacers,” Pelton wrote. “But his 31.8 MPG in the regular season were his most in nearly a decade, and Lopez missed just two games all season while shooting his usual 37% from 3-point range. If Milwaukee moves on for financial reasons, Lopez should have a strong midlevel market. Scouts anticipate some regression from Lopez but still see a capable starting center in most matchups.</p><p>Possible fits: If the Pelicans are trying to win now and committed to Zion Williamson — two big ifs — Lopez would be an ideal frontcourt partner and take pressure to perform off developing centers Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic. The Warriors could try to bring the former Stanford big man back to the Bay Area, either via sign-and-trade or opening up their nontaxpayer midlevel.”</p><p>Entering the offseason, the Pelicans’ frontcourt includes the likes of Williamson, Missi, Matkovic, Herb Jones, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Murphy III. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Mo Bamba are both unrestricted free agents.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Bucks star named ‘ideal’ Zion Williamson Pelicans partner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-urged-wild-jaylen-brown-zion-williamson-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Brown-and-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-21T14:41:11-07:00">May 21st, 2:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-21T16:50:58-07:00">May 21st, 4:50pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Recently, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-brad-stevens-hits-boston-with-reality-knicks-loss">Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 season came to an end</a> with a crushing Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks. While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-brad-stevens-reveals-amazing-turnaround-time-jayson-tatum-surgery">Jayson Tatum injury</a> sustained in Game 4 may have sealed the deal for the Celtics, the team was already on the verge of going down 3-1 by the time that incident occurred.</p><p>Now the Celtics are faced with an offseason that has more questions than answers, particularly as the team navigates a potential 2025-26 season with Tatum sidelined.</p><p>Recently, NBA insider Wes Goldberg of The Ringer toyed with some ideas of how the Celtics could simultaneously decrease their roster payroll this offseason while also positioning themselves to be back in contention once Tatum returns, and he included a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2025/05/19/nba/boston-celtics-nba-trade-rumors-jayson-tatum-injury" rel="noopener">wild trade idea</a> in the discussion.</p><p>Goldberg proposed that the Celtics “trade (Jaylen) Brown to New Orleans for Zion Williamson, a 2026 pick swap with Milwaukee, and a Pelicans 2029 first, then waive Williamson before his July 15 guarantee date,” per The Ringer.</p><p>Goldberg noted that the trade “would save the Celtics the whole of Brown’s contract, drop them under the luxury tax, and give them valuable assets to retool the roster.”</p><h2><b>Trading Jaylen Brown is a wild idea for the Celtics</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Celtics-insider-trade-starters-ignite-rebuild.jpg"><figcaption>© David Butler II- Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Trading away the 2024 Finals MVP for what would essentially amount to a salary dump with some draft considerations attached would probably not be most Celtics fans’ idea of a good offseason for the organization.</p><p>However, the Celtics will undoubtedly be looking to shed salary this summer, and they may not be able to get off the contracts of Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis without sending away major future assets, which could open the door for them to potentially take calls on Jaylen Brown.</p><p>Still, with the Eastern Conference as weak as it is, it’s hard to imagine Boston completely throwing in the towel on the 2025-26 season, even if Tatum misses most or all of it.</p><p>Whatever ends up happening, the Celtics will likely look vastly different in a couple of months than the team that won the 2024 NBA championship.</p><p>The NBA trade market will open back up once the Finals conclude in June.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Celtics urged to pull off wild Jaylen Brown-Zion Williamson trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-decision-means-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pelicans-Zion-Williamson-lottery-decision-trade-talks.jpg"><figcaption>© Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-18T12:57:19-07:00">May 18th, 12:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-18T12:57:19-07:00">May 18th, 12:57pm</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have a big decision to make in regards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson">to Zion Williamson</a> this offseason, but a recent development may indicate the Pelicans plan on keeping the oft-injured forward.</p><p>While some believed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-joe-dumars-pondering-four-plans-action-per-reports-zion-williamson">Williamson would be traded</a> following Joe Dumars’ hiring, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-intriguing-trade-observation">Williamson was quite surprisingly the Pelicans’ representative</a> at the NBA Draft lottery drawing, which NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Williamson’s presence is a sign of what direction the new-look Pelicans front office plans to take the team in.</p><p>“It didn’t lead to anything more than New Orleans scoring the seventh overall pick, but league sources insist that it was a significant development,” Stein <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-the-latest-nba-trade-419?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163854803&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">wrote on</a> The Stein Line of the Pelicans selecting Williamson to represent them.</p><p>“Amid no shortage of speculation about the Pelicans deciding to outright shop Williamson for the first time after six frustration-filled seasons, sources say that the lottery assignment was indeed intended to convey the message that New Orleans’ new front office, now headed by Louisiana native Joe Dumars, wants to try again to make things work with Williamson as the team’s centerpiece.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-brutal-injury-timeline-means-playoff-disaster">Williamson’s NBA career has largely been dominated by his numerous injuries</a> <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/nba-rumors-zion-williamson-off-court-drama-has-pelicans-dismayed">and off-the-court troubles</a>. Since being drafted first overall by the Pelicans in 2019, Williamson has played 214 games and missed 268, in addition to all 10 playoff games.</p><p>For most of his career, there have been questions about Williamson’s work ethic and his ability to stay in shape. The injuries have only emboldened his loudest critics, who argue his weight, which was rumored to be north of 300 pounds at one point, has been a factor in the frequency and severity of injuries.</p><p>When he is on the court, however, Williamson has proven to be extremely valuable and effective.</p><p>After an injury-shortened rookie season, Williamson earned his first All-Star honor in 2021 amid a season in which he averaged 27.0 points per game, as well as 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. For his career, he averages 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on 58.9% shooting from the field.</p><p>Williamson has not been able to remain available long or consistently enough, though. In four of his six seasons in the NBA, he has played 30 or fewer games, including this past season when he missed 30 of the Pelicans’ first 36 games and missed the final 12 games of the season.</p><p>As part of his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/players/adc009ff/zion-williamson/contract">five-year, $197.2 million extension,</a> Williamson is slated to earn $39.4 million next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: What Zion Williamson lottery decision means for trade talks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-rumors-zion-williamson-lottery-intriguing-trade-observation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Zion-Williamson.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-12T12:47:19-07:00">May 12th, 12:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-12T12:47:19-07:00">May 12th, 12:47pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While much of the focus in the NBA is still on the eight remaining teams in the playoffs, teams that missed out on the postseason take center stage on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/why-spurs-feel-good-cooper-flagg-chances-nba-draft-lottery">Monday night at the NBA Draft Lottery</a>. This year, the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes will change the direction of the league for years to come. The New Orleans Pelicans have the fourth-best lottery odds, with a 12.5% chance to land the top pick in the draft.</p><p>It remains to be seen what direction the Pelicans want to go in this offseason after a frustrating year riddled with injuries. One avenue that has been floated is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-rockets-intrigued-by-giannis-trade-over-kevin-durant-zion-williamson">possibly trading star forward Zion Williamson</a>, who has been very productive on the floor but cannot seem to stay healthy.</p><p>However, Williamson is going to be representing the Pelicans at the lottery, which could cast some doubt on the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/this-week-in-can-only-wish-you-a?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=163408278&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">idea that he could be traded</a> according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.</p><p>“It was announced Monday that Zion Williamson will be the Pelicans’ on-stage representative in Monday night’s draft lottery,” Stein wrote. “One source close to the process concurred with my instant reaction to this news: That’s not the sort of role you ask a star player to take on if you’re looking to trade him.”</p><p>The Pelicans will be hoping that Williamson brings them some luck on Monday night and that New Orleans can land either Flagg, the likely No. 1 pick, or Rutgers star Dylan Harper, who is expected to go No. 2 overall. At the moment, that may be the Pelicans’ best chance of contending again soon in the Western Conference, and they are right at the top of the lottery board entering the event.</p><p>If New Orleans can pair one of those stars with Williamson and the former Duke star can finally stay healthy for an entire season, the Pelicans have a chance top thrust themselves back into contention in the Western Conference in 2025-26.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans rumors: Zion Williamson’s lottery role makes for intriguing trade observation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-rumors-rockets-intrigued-by-giannis-trade-over-kevin-durant-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rockets intrigued by Giannis trade over Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pelicans-forward-Zion-Williamson-1-looks-to-pass-the-ball-against-Bucks-forward-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-34.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rockets intrigued by Giannis trade over Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-12T07:10:56-07:00">May 12th, 7:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-12T07:10:56-07:00">May 12th, 7:10am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Milwaukee Bucks’ latest first-round exit from the NBA Playoffs, it appears that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-rumors-giannis-antetokounmpo-open-exploring-trade-milwaukee">superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has loosened up his stance</a> on staying with the only franchise he’s played for so far in his career in the league.</p><p>The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player is said to have an open mind about leaving the Bucks via a trade, as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. While that doesn’t mean that Antetokounmpo will definitely show up in another uniform in the 2025-26 NBA season, the report is a welcome one for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-teammate-claims-bleeds-green-trade-rumors">teams who have significant interest in trading for the Greek superstar</a>.</p><p>The Houston Rockets are a potential trade landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo, a scenario that makes sense for at least a few reasons. But the Rockets can also be intrigued by such possible offseason targets like Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns and Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans. That being said, people within the Houston organization are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6346932/2025/05/12/rockets-ime-udoka-amen-thompson-offseason/" rel="noopener">rumored to be looking more in the direction</a> of Antetokounmpo than that of Durant’s or Williamson’s.</p><p>Via Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic:</p><p>“Of all the possibilities this summer might bring, the idea of the “Greek Freak” donning a Rockets jersey is seen as the most intriguing within the organization. The cost most certainly would be exorbitant, with a collection of draft picks, veterans to make the money work and a young talent or two likely to be part of the package.”</p><p>Acquiring someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo via a trade would indeed require front office creativity. The 30-year-old Antetokounmpo’s current contract will not expire until the summer of 2028, assuming he picks up his player option worth $62.78 million for the 2027-28 campaign. It carries an <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/13328/giannis-antetokounmpo" rel="noopener">estimated cap hit of $54.126 million</a> in 2025-26 and $58.456 million in 2026-27.</p><p>While he’s already on the wrong side of 30, Antetokounmpo remains one of the absolute elite players in the NBA. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists through 67 games while shooting 60.1 percent from the floor. A young Rockets team with Antetokounmpo as the centerpiece is a salivating thought for many Houston fans, but that is nothing more than just a thought — at least for now.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.5	7.5	4.8	1.0	1.4

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.5	7.5	4.8	1.0	1.4

Zion Williamson news

Zion
Williamson news