Zion Williamson's new contract reportedly includes weight-related incentives
Recently on his 22nd birthday, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to make their superstar Zion Williamson incredibly happy by locking him up for the next six seasons and giving him a massive new contract. The franchise put a ton of faith and monetary investment into Williamson, a five-year extension worth a cool $193 million. The contract raised plenty of eyebrows considering the injury issues and weight management issues the former Duke star has faced within the past year.
While the contract contains plenty of incentives for him to make even more money in the deal–as much as $231 million over the duration, it also contains incentives for him to properly manage his body weight and conditioning, per a report from Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune.
Williamson’s contract reportedly includes a stipulation that he’ll have weigh-ins throughout the duration of his new contract. At those weigh-ins, the sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295. If it isn’t, the amount of guaranteed money in the former Duke star’s contract can be reduced, per the report. In December of 2021, while working his way back from a surgically repaired foot, Williamson’s weight ballooned to a whopping 330-pounds, per ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
Despite his injury-plagued 2021-22 season, the Pelicans still found a way to make it to the post-season this year. New Orleans gave the Phoenix Suns all they could handle, but it wasn’t enough as Williamson’s teammates fell to the defending champions of the Western Conference. With Williamson back in the fold for the future, the Pelicans will be looking to build on their success.
Whether you’re a hardcore or casual basketball fan, watching Zion Williamson play basketball is a joy. Here’s to hoping we see some more rim-rattling, gravity-defying dunks from the former Duke star next season.
More on Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Outside of LeBron James, Zion Williamson entered the NBA with more hype surrounding him than any NBA player in history. Rim-rattling dunks, superstar ability and a frame fit for an NFL running back made him one of the most intriguing prospects of all time. Jubilation was the feeling in New Orleans when they won the Williamson lottery. Now, it’s turned to question marks and more.
Nevertheless, Williamson has proved worthy of the No. 1 selection when on the court. In his first two seasons in the NBA, the former Duke star averaged 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. However, staying healthy has been a problem for Williamson.
The Pelicans traded away Anthony Davis with hopes that Williamson could fill the void. It looked like a shrewd move at first, but now the franchise’s new centerpiece has to hold up his end of the bargain. Hopefully, the 2022-23 season and beyond will prove more fruitful for Williamson.
On3’s Stephen Samra also contributed to this article.