Zion Williamson, Pelicans Reportedly Nearing 5-Year, $231M Max Contract Extension

The New Orleans Pelicans made Zion Williamson the centerpiece of their organization when they selected him with the top pick in the NBA draft.

The two parties are close to a five-year max contract extension that will be worth up to $231 million.

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania

Williamson said after the season ended, “I couldn’t sign it fast enough.” Indeed, the All-Star locks in commitment to New Orleans.

The deal is expected to include protections that both sides were sorting through overnight and will finalize, sources said. https://t.co/n0hyRwRk9e

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, it could be a five-year deal with an annual value worth anywhere between 25 percent and 30 percent of the salary cap depending on what awards he gets.

According to Clark's report in September 2021, there was at least some tension between the 21-year-old and the organization.

The team's handling of his injury rehabilitation during his first season made for a lot of tension.

The number of hoops they required him to jump through to return from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason had become a problem for him. It took more than three months for Williamson to get back on the floor after he was injured. He was placed on 'burst' limits when he was given the green light to play. Sources say that the way the return was handled caused a lot of tension between him and the medical staff.

The relationship with the executive vice president of basketball operations was going to sour.

The power forward played just 24 games in his first year and averaged 27.8 minutes a night. He played just 20.6 minutes per game in five games for the Pelicans.

He was named to the All-Rookie first team even though he only played in a few games. In his second season as an All-Star, he averaged 28.0 points, 7.2 rebound and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 61.2 percent from the field.

Health became a priority during the campaign.

In December, the Pelicans announced that he had suffered a setback while rehabbing his foot injury. The volume and intensity of his training will be reduced in order to allow for further bone healing.

He missed the whole season.

The Duke product can dominate defenders on the blocks, attack off the bounce, and soar through the air for high-flying dunks when he's healthy. At his age, he is an ideal building block and will look to lead the core with Brandon.

Things never came together with their last star who was a top pick.

The franchise won a single playoff series when Anthony Davis was a part of it, but they couldn't put enough pieces around him to compete with the league's best teams.

The future of this contract extension is likely to be determined by whether or not the Pelicans are more successful in doing that.