Zion Williamson has been making headlines left and right for the New Orleans Pelicans. Not only have new details emerged regarding his contract situation with the team, but the superstar forward has been under fire recently for his sluggish play. The Pelicans and Williamson are looking to get things going in the right direction against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night, yet they will have to do so without one of their top talents.

Originally listed as questionable to play against the Cavs due to an illness, Williamson has since been ruled out by the Pelicans. Zion will now miss sixth game of the season. Zion, along with Herb Jones and Jonas Valanciunas, are all dealing with an illness. Jones and Valanciunas are still questionable to play.

Since their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Pelicans have gone 4-1. Their one loss was against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, a game the Pels led by as many as 24 points. Ja Morant led a ferocious comeback in New Orleans, putting the Pelicans in a tough position entering Thursday night's road game in Cleveland.

The good news for the Pelicans is that Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell has been ruled out for the second consecutive game due to an illness. Cleveland is also without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, leaving their potential success in the hands of their depth and bench. However, New Orleans is in the same boat as the Cavs due to Williamson's status.

With Williamson unable to play against the Cavs, Trey Murphy III will be the likely candidate to join CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram in the team's starting lineup. Murphy has been fantastic in eight games since returning from preseason knee surgery, averaging 14.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range.

Following their game against the Cavs, Zion and the Pelicans will head home to play the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. New Orleans will then have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off to spend time with their friends and family. In Williamson's case, this may be extra time to rest up and get healthy for the final stretch of games before 2024 begins.

In 23 games this season, Williamson has averaged 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor.