There has been much made about whether or not Zion Williamson was going to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans. Well, late last week that question was answered when he signed a five-year deal worth up to $231 million. At the time, it was believed that Zion had the opt-out clause heading into the fifth year. However, as it turns out, that is not the case.
NBA correspondent Marc Stein reported that his five year contract does not have have a player option for the fifth year. So, barring a trade at some point, Zion Williamson is going to be with the Pelicans through the 2027-2028 season.
Technically, the contract is worth $193 million over the five years. But there are numerous incentive built in. The Pelicans would be more than happy to pay those incentives because it means Zion is playing at an All-Pro level. The supermax clauses include making the All-NBA team and winning either the NBA MVP or Defensive Player of the Year awards next season.
Realistically though, New Orleans would probably be almost as happy just to have him on the floor. Zion Williamson has played in just 85 games during his three year career. So, he has essentially missed 67 percent of his games thus far.
The former Duke standout has always shown the skills, but the will has been questioned. There were numerous reports of Zion Williamson coming into camp out of shape and overweight. That, in part, led to conjecture that the Pelicans might trade the superstar. But things appear to have turned for the better.
With the addition of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, a trio including Zion Williamson suddenly looks like a threat in the west.
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