Zion Williamson wants to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans. He made that much clear in his latest interview when conducting his youth training camp. However, as for his contract, well that's for NOLA to figure out.
Williamson is eligible to sign a max rookie extension worth $186 million for five years. Nonetheless, there were rumors earlier that the Pelicans might not be too willing to guarantee that much in his contract due to his injury history after missing the whole 2021-22 season with a foot ailment.
When asked about his extension, Williamson instead noted that the ball is already in the Pelicans' court:
“You have to ask the Pels, baby,” Williamson said on his contract all while showing a big smile, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
For what it's worth, the Pelicans do see Zion Williamson as a “max player.” New Orleans VP David Griffin emphasized that in his recent appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, pointing out that it's “not a big decision” and is actually a “pretty easy decision.”
“The kid’s historically good when he plays … this is a max player, that’s easy,” Griffin said.
With all that said, it is safe to assume that the Pelicans will be offering Williamson the max. Perhaps the only thing holding them up is the finer details of the deal, including how much they'll guarantee to make sure the youngster will do his best to stay healthy.
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