While rumors promised tough negotiations and tumultuous discussions, the New Orleans Pelicans’ summer was ultimately very calm. Zion Williamson and his franchise very quickly agreed on the terms of his new contract after the opening of the market. A sign that the decision of the two camps had been taken for a while.
If multiple teams were apparently monitoring the situation, they were wrong. The rumors were never founded. According to David Griffinvice president of basketball operations, Williamson has never doubted his desire to stay in New Orleans.
“In terms of whether he wanted to stay, Zion was always very clear with us about what he wanted, what his goal was. He never hesitated,” he says in a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview.
“Zion had always been very clear with us about what he wanted.”@pelicans EVP of Basketball Operations @dg_riff tells @talkhoops & @DarthAmin if he ever had any doubt Zion Williamson would sign his extension. #SummerPelicans pic.twitter.com/j1CJjx5HoJ
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 16, 2022
The strong winger has always hinted, even publicly, that he intends to stay at the Pelicans. Seeing him sign his extension so quickly was no surprise.
“Of course I will sign here if they offer me an extension. I will sign without thinking,” already assured the player in April.
The potential problem was the amount. We weren’t sure the Pelicans would be ready to give their all to a youngster who has only played 85 games in his entire career. But again, the front office has been transparent about this.
“It’s not a big decision, it’s more of a pretty easy decision. The kid shows himself historically good when he plays… He’s a max player, it’s easy. What becomes important, in as a team in a small market that can’t make mistakes in terms of injuries over time, you have to compensate yourself in some way, and that’s good,” David Griffin reassured at the microphone of ESPN.
In the end, the plan was perfectly respected. Zion Williamson has agreed to a 5-year extension for $193 million. The amount could even go up to 231 million if selected in an All-NBA Team this year.
As announced, the Pelicans have also included clauses in the contract in order to protect themselves in the event of injury. Despite all the rumours, it therefore seems that Williamson’s situation has never been debated in New Orleans. All that was missing was an autograph at the bottom of the page.
In 2020-21, Williamson made the All-Star Game after starting the season with 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 61 percent shooting average. In good health, his return could mark a turning point in the Pelicans project. This year, they have already reached the playoffs without him. So if he manages to play a full year, who knows what this team is capable of?
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