Zion Williamson was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and many people consider him to be a superstar in the making. He is a dominant force near the rim, and in his last healthy season, he put up 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG while shooting 61.1% from the field.
This offseason, Zion Williamson will be eligible for a rookie-scale max contract extension. However, there have been reports that the New Orleans Pelicans are unwilling to offer him a fully guaranteed 5-year deal:
Brian Windhorst of ESPN: From what I have been told, the Pelicans, at this point, are not willing to offer a full five-year guaranteed deal. And a lot of it is flowing down from ownership. Gayle Benson, the owner, is also the owner of the New Orleans Saints. And I have been told they’re going to take a football-style, Saints-style mentality with this contract negotiation. They will offer him a huge contract but will not guarantee all of it.
Charles Barkley has recently commented on Zion Williamson’s contract extension and his weight, claiming that if he was offered the type of money Zion Williamson is expected to get, he would be “the skinniest power forward in the history of civilization”.
Chuck says if he was offered the type of money Zion is expected to get, he'd be in the best shape possible 😅 pic.twitter.com/eNbvffIYj4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 31, 2022
It is easy to see why the New Orleans Pelicans would be hesitant to fully guarantee Zion Williamson’s extension due to his injury history. However, they also need to make sure that they do end up retaining him, as Zion Williamson is the key to the team’s contending hopes.
Charles Barkley has a point in suggesting that if that much money is on the line, then Zion Williamson should be in the best shape possible. Hopefully, we see Zion Williamson agree to terms with the New Orleans Pelicans, and they could be a very dangerous team if he is healthy.
