Zion Williamson is one of the best young stars in the league, and there’s no doubt that he’s a dominant force when healthy. During the 2020-21 season, Zion Williamson averaged 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG.
This offseason, Zion Williamson notably signed a five-year, $193 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, his guaranteed money could potentially be reduced due to a “weight clause” in his contract.
“The New Orleans Pelicans forward is entering the final season of his rookie deal. Once it concludes, he is owed $193 million over a five-year span. If he is able to make an All-NBA team, win Most Valuable Player or be named Defensive Player of the Year next season, Williamson could make as much as $231 million over the life of his next deal. In other words, his extension contains escalators — but it also contains de-escalators, should Williamson’s conditioning issues continue.”
“According to league sources, Williamson’s contract stipulates that he will have weigh-ins periodically throughout the entirety of his new deal. The sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295. If it is not, the amount of guaranteed money in Williamson’s contract can be reduced.”
NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins has recently reacted to Zion Williamson having that clause in his contract, suggesting that the contract having this stipulation means Zion Williamson’s off-court habits are “not where they should be”.
That’s a clause that an offensive lineman has in his contract… He hired some new people in his corner, and you can tell they’re doing a better and a great job with his marketing and things of that nature, so he’s trying. So I’m not going to kill him like I want to. The fact that his weight clause is 295, tells me one thing and one thing only: his off-court habits aren’t where they should be.
There is no doubt that many people have criticized Zion Williamson in the past for him being poorly conditioned. Hopefully, those issues will go away in the future, and Zion Williamson has clearly put in the effort to improve his nutrition, even hiring a personal chef.
The New Orleans Pelicans could potentially make some noise in the Western Conference next year, with Zion Williamson joining a squad being led by Brandon Ingram. However, Zion Williamson being healthy will be key for them, and we’ll see if he is able to help them win a playoff series for the first time since the Anthony Davis era.
