Zion Williamson didn’t play a single game for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, now the forward could theoretically extend. The youngster is open to it, but boss David Griffin is keeping a low profile.
“Of course. I would sign immediately,” said Williamson at his first press conference since Media Day in September 2021 when asked whether he would sign an early contract extension with the Pelicans in the summer if he was offered it.
The 21-year-old missed the entire season with a complicated foot injury and suffered multiple setbacks. Zion himself spoke of a “tough year”, since the 2019 draft, the forward has only played 85 games for the Pelicans. Williamson is now qualified for a rookie extension starting July 1, and New Orleans could offer a five-year, $181 million contract.
Even without Williamson, the Pelicans reached the playoffs this season via the play-in tournament, where the Pelicans demanded everything from the Phoenix Suns, but ultimately lost 2-4. Zion saw this with mixed feelings: “To be honest, it wasn’t nice just to see it all from the outside. I want to play and I saw the potential. We have a lot of good players and I want to share that with the lads. “
However, since Williamson missed almost two-thirds of all possible games, it is by no means certain that New Orleans will offer a maximum contract. Pelicans boss David Griffin also chose at least cautious words on this subject and spoke of a “challenge”. The focus at the moment is much more on getting the franchise star fit again.
The 2020 All-Star was the first draft pick a year earlier, ahead of Grizzlies star Ja Morant. Williamson averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists with a 60.4 percent shot rate from the field for the Pelicans.
