Pelicans star Zion Williamson's weight could cost him millions

Many basketball analysts had concerns over Williamson's durability in the Association after his one stellar season at Duke. Those worries almost immediately came to fruition, as Williamson tore his meniscus during the preseason in October 2019, delaying his NBA debut to January 2020.

He played in 19 of the next 20 games prior to the league shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and five of the team's final eight contests when the season resumed in the "bubble." Following his 24-game rookie season, Williamson played in a career-high 61 contests and 33.2 minutes per game during the 2020-21 campaign, made his first All-Star team and put up his best numbers thus far in points (27) and rebounds (7.2) per contest. He also shot a career-best 61.1% from the field.

Williamson suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot during the 2021 offseason and underwent surgery. After multiple reports throughout the 2021-22 season indicated that he may be able to come back at some point, Williamson ended up missing the entire campaign.

Despite the injury history, the Pelicans signed the lefty to a five-year rookie extension in July 2022, although Vorkunov provided further details on the deal, showing how New Orleans took some precautions. Per Vorkunov's report, the organization negotiated "major hedges" related to Williamson's health and conditioning in case he had problems staying on the court.

Even though the big man earned his second All-Star honor last season, he was limited to 29 games and didn't appear in a game after Jan. 2 due to a hamstring injury.

"By missing more than 22 games last season, Williamson triggered a clause that turned the salary he is owed for the 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons from guaranteed to non-guaranteed," Vorkunov wrote. "That means the Pelicans have the contractual power to waive Williamson after the 2024-25 season with no financial ramifications — though rival team executives believe that would only happen in extreme circumstances. And if Williamson misses significant time this season, it could cut into his guaranteed salary for 2024-25."

Williamson has played in 23 of the Pelicans' first 28 games this season and leads the team in field goal percentage (.578), is second in points (22) and rebounds (5.8) per contest, and ranks third in assists (4.6) and minutes per game (30.5).

The insider added that the contract includes clauses where the former Blue Devil can "earn back the guarantees" by appearing in enough games and "hitting specific weigh-in checkpoints."

Both Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal have recently criticized Williamson for his weight and physical conditioning.

Per the report from The Athletic, the contract says that the "sum of Williamson's weight in pounds and his body fat percentage must be less than 295." Both Basketball Reference and ESPN list Williamson at 284 pounds, meaning his body fat must be lower than 10 percent to avoid losing out on the guarantees.