The New Orleans Pelicans were known to have protections for themselves in Zion Williamson’s contract, and a major one has been triggered.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Williamson’s contract with New Orleans is “more complex than previously known.” Most notably, the final three seasons are no longer guaranteed since Williamson missed more than 22 games last year, thus triggering a clause shifting his salary for those last three seasons to non-guaranteed. As a result, the Pelicans can now waive Williamson following the 2024-25 campaign without any financial ramifications.
Vorkunov adds that Williamson, should he miss significant time again this year, could see a cut in his guaranteed salary for 2024-25 as well. However, there are reportedly ways for the former No. 1 overall pick to earn back his guarantees by appearing in enough games and by staying within certain weight checkpoints.
You can read Vorkunov’s full reporting on Williamson’s unusual contract setup (which includes regular checkups of both his weight and his body fat as well as additional protections for the Pelicans if Williamson experiences any further issues with his troublesome right foot) here.
Williamson, 23, agreed to the five-year rookie extension with the Pelicans in summer 2022. He is currently in the first season of that extension, which originally came with $197M guaranteed.
Including such complex protections in Williamson’s contract was always the right move for New Orleans. While he is already a multi-time All-Star and one of the most physically overpowering players in the league, Williamson struggles to stay healthy, appearing in 52 games over the last three seasons combined. Perhaps even more concerning is Williamson’s continued lack of attention to his diet and conditioning (with one recent report even claiming that he has been ignoring the Pelicans’ demands to stay in shape).
Williamson is obviously still fundamental to New Orleans’ core and how they have constructed their team. But there were already rumors earlier this year that the Pelicans were considering moving on from him, and now that becomes a whole lot easier with the final three seasons of Williamson’s contract no longer guaranteed.
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