With a driving floater over Los Angeles Lakers large man Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson tied the rating with simply over three minutes remaining within the New Orleans Pelicans‘ first-round play-in recreation and despatched the followers on the Smoothie King Center right into a frenzy.
Williamson’s fourth basket in 4 minutes marked a team-high 40 factors, giving followers what they hoped to see because the Pelicans drafted him No. 1 general in 2019. But Williamson landed awkwardly and limped off the ground with a towel over his head throughout the subsequent timeout. He did not play the remainder of the sport and in the end the rest of the postseason, the acquainted ache in his left hamstring prematurely ending one other Pelicans season. Williamson may solely watch because the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder swept New Orleans within the first spherical.
Williamson performed in a career-high 70 video games final season, however it was the second playoff journey he missed because of harm. Six seasons into his profession, he has but to play in a playoff recreation.
“He’s dominant when he performs,” a rival common supervisor instructed ESPN. “But when’s the final time you’ve got seen him play?”
The reply: Nov. 6, when Williamson scored 29 factors in 29 minutes in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He missed the earlier two video games due to left hamstring tightness and has been sidelined since because of a pressure in that muscle.
At this level, Williamson’s profession has been outlined extra by his sturdiness points — and conditioning considerations — than his sensational drives and dunks. He has performed solely 190 video games (plus the one abbreviated play-in outing) in 5½ seasons since arriving in New Orleans with hope and hype of being a franchise savior.
Williamson’s in depth harm historical past is why he agreed to one of many rarest contracts in NBA historical past: a most deal that requires him to earn assured cash as he goes, which may issue into Williamson’s commerce worth if New Orleans explores the marketplace for him. His $36.2 million wage for this season turns into totally assured Jan. 7.
As a outcome, Williamson and the Pelicans may very well be approaching a crossroads.
Should the Pelicans proceed to construct round an unbelievable expertise who has confirmed to this point to be a poor basis for a franchise? Are there higher alternate options?
Right now, the 5-28 Pelicans, whose playoff hopes have been destroyed by a collection of accidents to the rotation, are targeted on transferring considered one of Williamson’s teammates forward of the Feb. 6 commerce deadline. Finding a commerce for injured ahead Brandon Ingram, a one-time All-Star in a contract yr whose extension talks have repeatedly fizzled, is the precedence for the Pelicans’ entrance workplace, sources instructed ESPN.
Williamson modified illustration after struggling the most recent harm, hiring WME’s Bill Duffy, a longtime agent who additionally represents stars reminiscent of Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and Chet Holmgren. Sources instructed ESPN that Duffy has no intention to push for the Pelicans to commerce Williamson earlier than the deadline.
The crew introduced Dec. 24 that Williamson can be “week-to-week going forward” after his anticipated return to apply within the ultimate days of December. The focus — for all events concerned — is to get Williamson again on the ground with out additional harm interruption.
“Let’s ramp him up and create worth for him,” a supply stated, “whether or not that is with the Pelicans or one other crew.”
A CONTRACT UNLIKE ANY OTHER
The Pelicans wrote a number of escape clauses into the five-year, $197 million extension Williamson signed after lacking the 2021-22 season.
New Orleans paid Williamson as a franchise participant however included language that protected the franchise if Williamson missed greater than 22 video games within the 2022-23 or 2023-24 season. He missed 53 in 2022-23, which means Williamson’s salaries within the remaining three seasons ($38.9 million in 2025-26, $41.5 million in 2026-27 and $44.2 million in 2027-28) are non-guaranteed.
“It is one the very best contracts within the NBA,” an Eastern Conference government instructed ESPN. “But trying again, it’s laborious to argue that any crew would have assured Zion $197 million with out circumstances within the extension.”
There are mechanisms for the non-guaranteed seasons to turn out to be totally or partially protected if Williamson satisfies weigh-in standards set by New Orleans — there are seven such dates throughout the season, with Williamson needing a mixed weight and physique fats proportion under 295 — and performs in a sure variety of video games within the earlier season. He must meet these standards within the prior season for his contract to turn out to be partially or totally protected within the subsequent season:
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20% if Williamson satisfies the weigh-in standards
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40% if he performs in 41 video games
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20% if he performs in 51 video games
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20% if he performs in 61 video games
For instance, if Williamson performed in 61 video games this season and meets the weigh-in standards, his $38.9 million wage in 2025-26 could be assured. The remaining two seasons, nevertheless, would stay non-guaranteed. Sources instructed ESPN that Williamson is on monitor to succeed in the burden benchmarks, nevertheless, he has already missed 26 video games this season, making it inconceivable for him to hit the 61-game mark. Once the burden clause standards is met, the assured portion for subsequent season will increase from $0 to $7.8 million. The non-guaranteed portion of his wage turns into assured if Williamson is on the roster after 5 p.m. ET on July 15.
But lacking the benchmarks does not scale back Williamson’s wage — simply the quantity that’s assured. To obtain any monetary profit, New Orleans must take the unprecedented step of waiving Williamson. However, the Pelicans don’t take into account releasing Williamson to create monetary flexibility to be a possible possibility, based on sources with data of the franchise’s pondering. The small-market Pelicans know they by no means have been thought of a beautiful vacation spot free of charge brokers, so they do not consider slicing payroll by releasing Williamson could be a practical path to bettering the roster.
In the unlikely situation that New Orleans waives Williamson earlier than July 15, when $38.9 million of his wage for 2025-26 turns into assured, the Pelicans may have as much as $30 million in cap area — however must change each Williamson and Ingram, who account for a mixed 45 factors per recreation when wholesome.
Still, even with out releasing Williamson, the distinctive construction of his contract may very well be a worthwhile instrument for the Pelicans.
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Perk: The Warriors ought to commerce for Zion Williamson
Kendrick Perkins explains why he wish to see Zion Williamson traded to the Warriors.
COULD A TRADE BE THE SOLUTION?
If the Pelicans and Williamson ultimately half methods, it in all probability could be a lot completely different from the earlier two occasions New Orleans traded its face of the franchise.
Chris Paul and Anthony Davis succeeded in forcing their approach out of city regardless of the franchise’s need to maintain the long run Hall of Famers. This time, it may very well be the Pelicans who attain the conclusion that it is within the franchise’s greatest pursuits to maneuver on from Williamson.
One East government, nevertheless, referred to as gauging Williamson’s commerce worth “the toughest query to reply within the NBA proper now.”
“It’s actually laborious to see anyone paying a ton for him proper now, however there are a really restricted variety of gamers within the league when wholesome who’re at or close to the franchise-player tier,” the East government stated. “The solely approach you win on the highest stage is to have a man who can do the kind of issues he can do if he is wholesome.
“I might in all probability do one thing silly to get him if it had been me making selections.”
One government prompt that the Pelicans may benefit by buying and selling Williamson as a contract, not a expertise. Such a deal would require discovering a commerce associate, seemingly a crew that has crossed into the cruel second apron of the wage cap, that’s determined for monetary aid.
In this situation, the Pelicans may flip Williamson’s cuttable contract into a high quality participant (or two). Perhaps the Pelicans may even squeeze some draft capital out of the deal.
“That is smart,” one common supervisor stated when requested concerning the chance. “But who’re they going to get? Khris Middleton?”
There is also a center floor for a commerce suitor. Willamson’s contract would enable a crew to amass a celebrity on a trial foundation.
Several executives polled agreed that Williamson’s expertise — as not often because it has been on show — would nonetheless generate some curiosity within the commerce market. As one common supervisor stated, “We’ve seen worse gamers have worth regardless of accidents.”
Added one other: “It’s a danger, however some crew would possibly take the danger.”
ESPN talked to 2 crew executives on the latest G-League showcase in Orlando and each pointed to Golden State as a logical match for Williamson.
The Warriors have $40 million in expiring contracts, as much as three first-round picks to commerce, younger gamers in Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and the $26.2 million wage of Andrew Wiggins.
As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in December, the Warriors are exploring the marketplace for an All-Star to pair subsequent to Stephen Curry.
After profitable the title in 2022, the Warriors failed to succeed in the playoffs in 2023.
They are at present combating for a play-in spot and have simply 4 wins this month.
A GM brainstorming potential Williamson offers talked about the Chicago Bulls, who’ve been procuring guard Zach LaVine for a number of months, as a potential match. LaVine, 29, has his personal sturdiness points and a contract because of pay him $95 million over the subsequent two seasons. But he has reminded the league of his expertise stage by averaging 22.0 factors per recreation with a 63.4% true capturing proportion this season.
“I wager Chicago would do this,” the overall supervisor stated of a hypothetical deal constructed round swapping Williamson for LaVine.
After pondering it for a couple of seconds, the GM stated he’d decline such a proposal if he had been working the Pelicans.
An government for an additional crew speculated that the marketplace for Williamson at this level could be a late first-round decide and wage filler for crew prepared to gamble that he may vault it into contender standing.
“Take a swing and work on his physique,” the manager stated. “It could be sophisticated along with his wage, however I feel it could be doable.”
Other league sources believed that if the Pelicans moved Williamson, their greatest wager could be reaching out to rebuilding groups.
“Maybe there is a dangerous crew that wants a star,” one other West government stated. “I do not suppose he is getting a premium picks bundle, however the man has confirmed that when he is wholesome, he is a star.”
