Zion Williamson recently broke the internet with his remarkable body transformation, which became public for the first time during the Pelicans’ Media Day, where he seemed to have slimmed down incredibly by working hard this NBA offseason. The two-time All-Star has spent most of his NBA career on the bench as he is plagued with injuries and health concerns from time to time.
One would think that this sudden body transformation is a result of wanting to fix that, but that may not be the only case. The former No. 1 pick signed a five-year, $197 million rookie-max extension with the Pelicans in 2022. Williamson had played only 85 games in his first three regular seasons, meaning he missed over half the games that the Pelicans played in that time.
Yet, he somehow managed to convince the Pelicans to give him a maximum extension valued at $197 million, but there was a catch to it. There was a clause in the contract that stipulated only two of the five years given in that contract were guaranteed, and the rest were partially guaranteed based on his performance in the season and his health.
According to Bleacher Report’s Molly Morrison, the second year of his contract extension marked a pivotal assessment period in his deal.
“If he played a certain number of games in the second year, then the remaining three years would be guaranteed. But he was only able to play 30 games, which triggered the clause stripping the guarantees on the remaining three years of the deal.”
She then went on to explain the criteria that Zion Williamson needs to satisfy every season to ensure that he gets his full salary.
“Now he needs to reach certain checkpoints before he can get the next season guaranteed. Six times per season, he has to step on a scale and prove that his weight and body fat percentage are not over 295 lbs. Pass all six, and 20% of the next season’s salary becomes guaranteed.”
“Then there’s the games played, which were his problem last season. Play 41 games and 40% more becomes guaranteed,” explained Morrison. Subsequently, every ten games played on top of that guarantees another 20% until he finally guarantees his full salary by playing 61 games.”
Following his recent transformation, the 2025-26 season was also guaranteed as the Pelicans did not waive him before the July 15 deadline. That comes as a surprise, as he did not hit the 41, 51, or 61 game marks for the season, and yet the Pelicans allowed him the third year on his contract to become fully guaranteed.
Therefore, the remaining two years, which add up to $87.06 million in salary, are still at risk for the Pelicans star. Williamson is set to earn $42.16 million in 2027–2028 and $44.90 million in 2027–2028.
But if his health does not support him, Williamson could walk away with absolutely nothing in those two seasons. He has to ensure that he plays at least 41 games over the 2027 and 2028 seasons, and his current body transformation is a green signal in that direction.
Zion Williamson has played 60 or more games twice and 70 or more games just once in his first five seasons. He missed the entire 2021–22 season and has played 30 games or fewer in three seasons. Therefore, one cannot blame the Pelicans for taking precautionary steps to safeguard their interests and avoid giving Williamson money for doing nothing.
He has averaged 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the five seasons he has played for the Pelicans (excluding a full season of games missed). The two-time All-Star has proved that when he is healthy, he can propel the Pelicans to Playoff contention.
But without him, the Pelicans have struggled, and at this point, one is bound to wonder, for how long will the front office show faith in a player who has spent most of his career on the bench?
Will the Pelicans take the harsh business decision of cutting Williamson’s salary for next season if he fails to perform this season? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
