“I would probably do something stupid” Zion Williamson’s potential could tempt rival executives into giving up a lot in trades
New Orleans Pelicans have until Jan 7th to take a decision on Zion Williamson before his salary for this season becomes guaranteed.
Follow Us
Zion Williamson has crazy potential, but cannot stay healthy
One of the most hyped young superstars of recent years has been Zion Williamson. When healthy, his skill and athleticism lead to jaws dropping across the basketball universe. However, the 24-year-old is at a crossroads in his career where he is constantly struggling with injuries.
Those injuries have seen him play only 190 games out of a possible 492 regular season games. If one leaves out the 2021-22 season when he did not play, even then Zion Williamson has failed to play half the games of his career so far.
That injury problem has seen the New Orleans Pelicans take measures in his contract. They added clauses where he would lose a lot of guaranteed money if he could not play a certain number of games. As those clauses are retrospective, some of them will see him lose a chunk of his pay in the 2025-26.
However, the talk among the basketball community is that the Pelicans might already be done with him. With his past it is a question mark if teams would be interested. However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks spoke with executives about this and received this answer.
The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he’s healthy. I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.
Anonymous NBA executive said
The executive added that the market might be slim for Zion Williamson. But even then, his potential when healthy is tantalizing enough for a team to offer him a contract. How big that contract would be is a matter of how healthy he can be.
Zion Williamson could be an easy trade target for teams
Zion Williamson signed a five-year fully guaranteed contract worth $197,230,450 in 2022. However, owing to his past health concerns, the New Orleans Pelicans added language that would save them the ordeal of paying him if he did not satisfy those clauses.
After he missed 53 games in the 2022-23 season, his final three years of the contract became non-guaranteed. That means, the Pelicans could offload him to a team willing to bank on the former Duke prodigy.
For teams, it could be a boon as they could void those years and offer him a prove it deal. If he accepts it and stays healthy and fit, it could be the trade of the decade. However, the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley have always questioned Williamson’s motivation to stay healthy.
Some have questioned if he is not motivated to stay in New Orleans and wants to move to a bigger market. However, big market teams will be aware of the fact that his health is a major gamble. But as the executive told ESPN, some might find that gamble worth taking.
Stay Updated!
Joseph Varghese
(2393 Articles Published)