Zion Williams, the Pelicans star player who has been hailed as "the next basketball superstar," has seen a dip in his per-game stats this season. What is even more surprising is that his last three years have become insecure due to the 29 appearances last season that did not meet the minimum requirements set out in his contract.
According to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, Zion missed most of the games last season due to injury, playing in just 29 games, which triggered a clause in his multimillion-dollar contract, leaving the final three years of his contract insecure. In the NBA's contractual protection section, the amount may also go in different directions at different times. At some point, this contract becomes unguaranteed.
Although Zion's average per game has slipped this season, he can still contribute 22 points and 58 rebounds, 46 assists and 1 steal, shooting 578%。But with the rookie season in the second year of the average 27+7 per game2+3.7 compared to the performance of his data, his data shows a downward trend. For the Pelicans, Zion's contract becoming unsecured has undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on them. In the contractual protection section of the NBA, the amount may also go in different directions at different times. This contract will become unguaranteed at some point in time, which makes it necessary for the Pelicans to consider this possibility in their future plans.
Of the four NBA executives interviewed, it was generally agreed that the Pelicans are now almost in a "dilemma." On the one hand, Zion's injury issues make it uncertain whether he will be able to stay fit for the next few seasonsOn the other hand, even if Zion can stay healthy, his contract becoming insecure has left the Pelicans limited in player trades and roster adjustments. However, despite these challenges, the Pelicans remain confident in Zion. Internally, they believe Zion has the ability and potential to prove their worth in the coming seasons.
Zion Williams' contract became unwarranted, causing the Pelicans a lot of trouble. But as long as the team can deal with the situation reasonably and give Zion enough support and encouragement, they believe the young player can still prove his worth in the coming seasons and bring more wins to the team.