Is Zion Williamson playing tonight against the Detroit Pistons? Latest on New Orleans Pelicans superstar's availability 

Zion Williamson is a doubtful starter for the New Orleans Pelicans' Monday showdown against the Detroit Pistons. The explosive forward was listed as questionable ahead of the matchup, and personal reasons were cited as the cause. At the time of writing, there was no official word on the abovementioned reasons.

He missed the previous game against the San Antonio Spurs but had a string of 20-point games before missing the Spurs skirmish. The fifth-year star is now in focus ahead of the offseason as one of the hotter trade targets after showing his prolific scoring side even as the Pelicans continue to struggle.

Williamson, who missed significant time due to injuries once again showed what he was capable of when healthy, making him a key target to look out for this summer.

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"It's about consistency": Zion Williamson highlights the Pelicans plans and approach in the summer

It has been a forgettable season for the New Orleans Pelicans. With just 18 wins in 68 games, the Western Conference unit is well out of the playoffs and hit an early summer this season. While the rumor mills churn around Zion Williamson's future in New Orleans, the forward was already looking toward the team's offseason plans. Per HoopsHype:

"This is when it comes down to being a pro and deciding what you want to get out of it. We talked about it as a team. The season hasn’t gone the way we wanted, but that doesn’t mean we can’t build into something for next year—build better habits. Like I said, it’s about consistency.

"When we take the lead, we have to maintain it instead of just being front-runners. How we lock into the scouting report, how we function as a team—all of that matters. We’ve got to build on that."

Williamson has shown he can take over games when he is healthy. He is averaging 24.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 28 games this season. His ability to barrel to the rim, and be a defensive force were seen when he took the floor in the limited games for NOLA.

The mercurial star is yet to have the kind of season expected of him as he is in danger of playing less than 40 games for the third time in five seasons. With the trade buzz only continuing to get louder, it remains to be seen if Zion Williamson finds a new home next season.