Zion Williamson, Pelicans Agree to Five-Year, $193M Extension

[RealGM Wiretap]

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a five-year, $193 million maximum contract extension. The deal also includes Designated Rookie language that could push the value of the deal to $231 million.

In order to qualify for the bigger contract at 30% of the salary cap, Williamson must make All-NBA, win MVP or Defensive Player of the Year during the 2022-23 season.

The Pelicans are committing to Williamson despite the former first overall pick missing the entirety of last season. In all, the talented forward has played in only 85 games over his first three seasons in the NBA. But in those games, Williamson has shined. He's averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting over 60% from the field.

Via Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN

[Green89]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

[hyberx]

I hope they wrote in the number of fries and big mac he is allowed to consume in a year into that contract.

[Temuhjan]

How is he going to play with a 330 lbs body?

[Funcrusher]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

[HotelVitale]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Right, that's what been reported steadily over the past week. Even if not, Zion would have to have drastic bad luck for this to be worse than contracts that are currently still around. John Wall just capped off a deal making $43m per year in which he missed like 85% of the available games (and wasn't good when he did play). Blake Griffin made it less than 2.5 years into his 5-year full vet max before the Pistons dumped him, etc.

[step]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Got a source? Injury provisions from memory are against the CBA. Only incentives can be negotiated into a player's contract ... and they also must be realistic/achievable.

That being said, there is medical insurance that covers the majority of player contracts. Teams are still on the hook for the contract in terms of salary cap, just significant accidental injuries are covered/paid by insurance in the end.

[RajonRambo]

Barf

Hope him proves me wrong

[Eagle4]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Right, that's what been reported steadily over the past week. Even if not, Zion would have to have drastic bad luck for this to be worse than contracts that are currently still around. John Wall just capped off a deal making $43m per year in which he missed like 85% of the available games (and wasn't good when he did play). Blake Griffin made it less than 2.5 years into his 5-year full vet max before the Pistons dumped him, etc.

People love hyperbole with this kid. It's a similar situation with Embiid, if you're the New Orleans Pelicans aka not LA, NY, Miami then you take your chances on the generational talent that is Zion.

It's almost like the people so upset are projecting their own weight problems and butthurt that he got such a deal. He dominated when healthy and has trimmed down significantly. All these armchair GM are hilarious.

[jmbish87]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Right, that's what been reported steadily over the past week. Even if not, Zion would have to have drastic bad luck for this to be worse than contracts that are currently still around. John Wall just capped off a deal making $43m per year in which he missed like 85% of the available games (and wasn't good when he did play). Blake Griffin made it less than 2.5 years into his 5-year full vet max before the Pistons dumped him, etc.

John Wall was pretty good when he did play. He played 40 games for the Rockets- averaged 20 3 and 7 with a steal and almost a block a game. A slight step back from his last healthy season and did all that in less minutes. Rockets didn't play him this season.

[FreeBoosie]

That's a fat extension

[TheCage4]

That’s going to buy a lot of Krispy Kreme.

[Green89]

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Right, that's what been reported steadily over the past week. Even if not, Zion would have to have drastic bad luck for this to be worse than contracts that are currently still around. John Wall just capped off a deal making $43m per year in which he missed like 85% of the available games (and wasn't good when he did play). Blake Griffin made it less than 2.5 years into his 5-year full vet max before the Pistons dumped him, etc.

People love hyperbole with this kid. It's a similar situation with Embiid, if you're the New Orleans Pelicans aka not LA, NY, Miami then you take your chances on the generational talent that is Zion.

It's almost like the people so upset are projecting their own weight problems and butthurt that he got such a deal. He dominated when healthy and has trimmed down significantly. All these armchair GM are hilarious.

Hyperbole? He's shown no consistency to stay healthy thus far and just missed an entire season.

[nedleeds]

It's Bo time!

[HotelVitale]

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Right, that's what been reported steadily over the past week. Even if not, Zion would have to have drastic bad luck for this to be worse than contracts that are currently still around. John Wall just capped off a deal making $43m per year in which he missed like 85% of the available games (and wasn't good when he did play). Blake Griffin made it less than 2.5 years into his 5-year full vet max before the Pistons dumped him, etc.

John Wall was pretty good when he did play. He played 40 games for the Rockets- averaged 20 3 and 7 with a steal and almost a block a game. A slight step back from his last healthy season and did all that in less minutes. Rockets didn't play him this season.

Wall also wasn't very good the half season he played with HOU. He had a 50% TS and still turned the ball over like crazy--meaning he had like a 2:1 asst:TO (which is awful for a PG), and his advanced stats all fell off a cliff. E.g. peak Wall had really good BPMs of around 4-5, that half season he played he was at -0.7. At best he was a bad starter during those games, and that's much more than a 'slight step back' from his peak.

[HotelVitale]

If he doesn't stay healthy, this could go down as one of the worst contracts in professional sports history.

there are injury provisions put in place in this contract, so almost certainly not

Got a source? Injury provisions from memory are against the CBA. Only incentives can be negotiated into a player's contract ... and they also must be realistic/achievable. That being said, there is medical insurance that covers the majority of player contracts. Teams are still on the hook for the contract in terms of salary cap, just significant accidental injuries are covered/paid by insurance in the end.

It's not as straightforward as an 'injury provision,' but there have been options to cut players and have future years non-guaranteed if they don't play X amount of games. So e.g. if Zion signs a 4-year deal and misses like 60 games his 2nd season into that with another major injury/re-injury, the team could have the option of waiving him for the last two years and paying a smaller (or no) guaranteed amount.

[...]

And here I thought the Wolves overpaid for Gobert.

[KING NOLA]

Any of you idiots here that said Zion Williamson is still overweight is definitely not from the NOLA area, and whoever said Zion is not worth the re up the Pelicans paid then you don’t know jack about basketball. The last time Zion was on the court he averaged 27,8 and 3 and if you were so damn interested in his weight you would know he’s slimed down a bit and he’s cut, Zion signed for what all the stars from his class signed for $193 mill and if he’s MVP, All NBA or DPOY then he trigger incentives worth $231 mill. My Pelicans started the season 1-12 and 3-17 and ended up in the playin beating San Antonio at home and the Clippers on the road before making #1 seeded Phoenix work very hard before losing in six all without our superstar Zion Williamson, now imagine that team with a healthy, hungry, fit Zion in the lineup, GOT DAMN!!!!!

[Taikuri]

People love hyperbole with this kid. It's a similar situation with Embiid, if you're the New Orleans Pelicans aka not LA, NY, Miami then you take your chances on the generational talent that is Zion.

Williamson simply never plays. 193 million wasted. If he plays few games then he will soon get injured again.