Report: Final three years of Zion's deal no longer guaranteed
Published
By missing 29 games in 2022-2023, the final three seasons of Zion Williamson's five-year, $197 million deal are no longer guaranteed, The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov reports.
Taken with the first overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, Williamson has appeared in only 137 games for the New Orleans Pelicans including 23 this year. The Salisbury, NC native missed the entirety of the 2021-2022 season with a foot injury.
According to the language of the contract viewed by Vorkunov, by missing 22 games last season, a clause was triggered by which Williamson's salary for the 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons are no longer guaranteed, meaning that the team can walk away from Williamson without financial penalty after the 2024-2025 season.
Vorkunov notes that scenario is highly unlikely according to rival executives and that Williamson can re-earn his guarantees by appearing in a specific number of games and by reaching certain benchmarks during weigh-ins.
Williamson, 23, is averaging 22.0 points on .578 shooting, 5.8 boards and 4.6 assists over 30.5 minutes a night.