On Saturday, the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson agreed to sign a five-year, $193 million extension, which could be worth as much as $231 million.
Williamson’s new contract extension will pay him a guaranteed $193 but also features clauses that could increase the value to as much as $231 million.
In May, Williamson returned to on-court activities after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season.
Over the past few months, the Pelicans and Williamson have both been vocal about their desire to get a contract extension done.
In April, Williamson said he “couldn’t sign it fast enough” when asked if he’d be interested in an extension with New Orleans. In early June, Pelicans VP David Griffin said offering Williamson a max extension was “a pretty easy decision.”
Williamson, 21, was the No. 1 overall pick by the Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke.
After playing in only 24 games his rookie season, Williamson broke out in his sophomore campaign. In 2020-21, Williamson averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 61 games, earning his first career All-Star nod.
