It was a jubilant moment for the team when the New Orleans Pelicans signed Zion Williamson in July 2022. Pelicans with 1The $9.7 billion lock in Williamson for an additional five years ensures that the 2019 No. 1 pick will stay in the city.
The deal itself is significant, and Zion is seen not only as key to transforming the Pelicans into a powerhouse, but also as a model for young All-Stars to be willing to strike long-term deals with small-market teams. However, it wasn't without risk – Zion missed most of his first three years in the NBA, including the entire 2021-22 season. As a result, the team negotiated significant hedging in contracts related to Zion's health and weight, among others, in case he had problems on the field.
Zion played just 29 games last season, so the final three years of his contract are no longer guaranteed. After missing more than 22 games last season, Zion triggered a clause that changed his salary from guaranteed to non-guaranteed for the -27 and 2027-28 seasons. The 2024-2025 season is partially guaranteed, with a coverage amount of $18 million. That means the Pelicans have contractual authority to waive Williamson after the 2024-25 season without any financial impact — though executives at rival teams believe that will only happen in extreme cases.
However, the contract also provided for a guarantee that Zion could win the contract amount by playing enough races and reaching a certain weight.
The Pelicans have repeatedly declined to comment, answer questions about the contract, or let Zion speak. Zion's agent, Austin Brown, did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The 23-year-old Zion is in the first year of his five-year contract extension this season, and his fitness and availability are quickly the subject again. So far, he has stayed on the pitch and played in 23 of his 28 games, averaging 30 per gameIn 5 minutes, he scored 22 points efficiently, but his physical condition was sharply questioned. He looked lethargic in an ugly loss to the Lakers in the in-season tournament, prompting TNT's Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal to lash out at him, saying he wasn't in good shape. Zion's work ethic has long been questioned within the Pelicans, according to reports.
According to **, if Zion does not meet certain standards when checking his weight and body fat regularly, he will be at risk of losing more of the amount of contract coverage. According to the contract, Williamson's weight (pounds) and body fat percentage must be less than 295 combined. He weighed 285 pounds last season, which means he can't have a body fat percentage of 10%.
The Pelicans also defended themselves in case of any further major problems with Zion's fifth metatarsal in his right foot. If his bone or healing callus suffers a fracture or stress injury, or if there is a "hardware failure" in the contract related to a previous injury, then part of his guaranteed pay for 2024-25 will no longer be guaranteed.
Of course, there are other ways for Zion to secure some or even all of his salary again. If he passes all 6 weighing checkpoints in the 2024-25 season, 20% of his salary for the 2025-26 season will be guaranteed;Another 40% of his salary will be guaranteed if he plays at least 41 games in the 2024-25 season, or 20% if he plays at least 20 games. If he plays at least 61 matches, the last 20% will be re-guaranteed. He can also re-guarantee part of his salary for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons by reaching the same milestones in previous seasons.
For the Pelicans, contract terms prevent the worst-case scenario. But both sides clearly want to see Zion fulfill the contract and dominate, and be paid handsomely.
Believe it or not, when I'm on the sidelines, man, it hurts me more than anything else," Zion said on the podcast Arenas co-hosted about missing playing time. "I just wanted to play basketball. ”