The Pelicans have made a big commitment to Zion Williamson.
On July 1, Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news that Williamson was nearing a five-year extension "worth up to" $231 million with the Pelicans.
Williamson has since signed the extension.
"I am locked in baby!"
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2022
- Zion 💪#Pelicans pic.twitter.com/FQdKKfgpe4
The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson earned the first All-Star selection of his career in 2020-21 with averages of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 61.1 percent shooting from the field.
How much is Williamson's contract and what are the details behind it? Find out below.
MORE: Timeline for Zion's return after signing new contract
Zion Williamson contract details
The "worth up to" part of Charania's report is key.
As Spotrac's Keith Smith detailed, Williamson will have to make an All-NBA team, win Defensive Player of the Year or be crowned MVP in 2022-23 to be eligible for the full $231 million.
If he doesn't earn one of those honors, Williamson's contract will be around $193 million.
Nope.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 1, 2022
Zion Williamson isn't eligible for that big of a salary, yet. What they are doing is putting in Designated Rookie Extension language that COULD get him to that big of a salary.
He'd have to make All-NBA this season, win MVP or win DPOY. Otherwise, he'll get around $193M. https://t.co/f0ZBvgrdP0
It will also be interesting to see if there are any options and/or protections in Williamson's contract because of his injury history.
In 2017, Joel Embiid signed a five-year, $148 million max contract with the 76ers. However, after injuries sidelined him for the first two seasons of his career, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Embiid's contract included a minutes-played criteria that he had to meet to guarantee the final three years of his deal, which was worth around $95 million.
All we currently know is that Williamson's extension does not include a player or team option, keeping him under contract through 2027-28.
How many games has Zion Williamson played?
Williamson didn't play a single game in 2021-22 after undergoing foot surgery. On May 26, 2022, the Pelicans announced that he has been cleared to play without any restrictions.
Williamson was also limited to 24 games in 2019-20, his rookie season, due to a torn meniscus.
Through three NBA seasons, Williamson has appeared in 85 of a possible 226 regular-season games. He did not appear in any of the Pelicans' six playoff games and two play-in games this season.
