New Orleans Pelicans signs a five-year, $ 193 million designated player contract extension for 22-year-old frequently injured superstar Zion Williamson. According to the athletic Shams Carania..
If he creates an All-NBA Team or wins the League MVP’s honor next season, the deal will pay him $ 231 million.
Despite Williamson’s health, both teams have previously been optimistic about the deal. Williamson was limited to 85 games in his first three years, including all of last season. Several Report of friction Between Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin and the player he won first place overall in 2019.
“It’s not a big decision. It’s a very easy decision.” Griffin said in the Ryen Russillo podcast To offer Williamson the biggest deal. “When he plays, the kid is historically good …. this is the biggest player. It’s easy.”
A knee problem followed Williamson into the NBA, and a torn right meniscus killed him in all but 24 rookie year games. He averaged 27 points (61/29/70 shoot splits), 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games during the 2020-21 campaign in 33.2 minutes, making him the only healthy basketball all-star in the league. became. But his broken right leg set him aside throughout last season.
The injury raised a question about Williamson’s conditioning at 6 feet 6 and (perhaps Modestly) 284 pounds. Athletes under the age of 6-9 have never been within 25 pounds of Williamson’s stated weight, and anyone comparable to his height and weight has enjoyed a long career in the NBA so far. There is none. Again, no one is as athletic as Williamson in size. Williamson’s highlight reel was the most anticipated prospect since LeBron James.
Pelicans are committed to fulfilling Williamson’s promises during the extension, and their commitment shows confidence that his foot and knee problems may not be a long-term concern. ..
Whether Williamson will complete this deal in New Orleans, even if he is healthy, will be the subject of much debate in the coming years. Both the only other superstars the franchise has ever known, both Chris Paul and Anthony Davis, have demanded transactions from a small market before the end of a similar deal.
These concerns fueled the debate long before the deal. If you trust the reports of the last three years, Williamson is dissatisfied with the careful treatment of knee injuries by the organization, and rehabilitation from foot injuries at Nike’s Oregon facility did not subside those rumors. .. There are also reports that Williamson’s family wants New Orleans. His stilt communication With new teammate CJ McCollum.
All the while Williamson insisted“Anyone who knows me … they know I love New Orleans.”I want to stay here“And when asked about the possibility of extension,” I couldn’t sign it fast enough. “
The success of Pelican without Williamson last season helped sell Williamson in the direction of the team. Brandon Ingram continued to perform at the star level. The second round of Pick Herb Jones was a revelation. The deal between Jonas Valanciunas and McCollum has brought veteran stability to the otherwise inexperienced roster.
Together, they pushed Pelicans from the start of 3-16 to the eighth seed of the Play-in Tournament Bath and Western Conference.Required 64 wins Phoenix Suns Best playoff performance ever From Paul to avoid Round 7 in the first round with a New Orleans start-up. Adding Williamson to the series may have made all the difference, or at least it’s the theory behind paying him to be that player.
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Ben Rollbach I’m a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Do you have a hint? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
