Zion Williamson, Pelicans agree to five-year extension

Mar 27, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson during pre-game warm ups before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Smoothie King Center. Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Zion Williamson agrees to five-year, $193M extension with Pelicans

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 7/2/22

On Saturday, the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson agreed to sign a five-year, $193 million extension, which could be worth as much as $231 million.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has agreed on a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension that could earn him as much as $231 million, CAA Sports’ Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/z4lnVLD1GM
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2022

Williamson's new contract extension will pay him a guaranteed $193 but also features clauses that could increase the value to as much as $231 million.

In May, Williamson returned to on-court activities after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season.

Over the past few months, the Pelicans and Williamson have both been vocal about their desire to get a contract extension done.

In April, Williamson said he "couldn't sign it fast enough" when asked if he'd be interested in an extension with New Orleans. In early June, Pelicans VP David Griffin said offering Williamson a max extension was "a pretty easy decision."

Williamson, 21, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke.

After playing in only 24 games his rookie season, Williamson broke out in his sophomore campaign. In 2020-21, Williamson averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 61 games, earning his first career All-Star nod.

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