What are the details of the weight clause on Zion Williamson’s $193 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans?
Power forward Zion Williamson signed a mammoth $193 million rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, and the contract has provisions for his weight.
Former number one NBA draft pick Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million rookie extension that could reach as much as $231 million (with incentives) with the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month. His contract is unquestionably huge, and now it appears that its size is inversely proportional to how much he weighs.
According to a report by NOLA.com’s Christian Clark, the agreement that the 22-year-old signed has specific provisions that pertain to his weight, which will be periodically recorded. The total of his weight and percentage of body fat should not reach or exceed 295. If it does, there could a reduction of the amount of guaranteed money in his deal. He is currently listed by the Pelicans as weighing 284 pounds.
Williamson’s conditioning and health troubles
New Orleans selected Williamson first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, and since then he has been plagued by poor conditioning and injuries. This is partly why he sat out for most of the summer league after he was drafted.
His rookie year was affected by a knee injury, which kept him out of action for 44 games; then he missed the whole of the 2021-22 after a fracture on his right foot.
The Duke University standout and the Pelicans are hoping he can move beyond his injury-saddled early years in the NBA. At the moment, he is working with a personal trainer and a private chef to make sure that he will be in the peak of health when the 2022-23 campaign begins.
If Williamson achieves his best fitness level, he will be in the position to repeat (or even surpass) the numbers that he tallied on his second year with the Pelicans, when he delivered an average of 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.