The New Orleans Pelicans finished a very good season where they made it to the NBA Finals, beating the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the play-in tournament before taking down the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.
This team did a terrific job in the postseason, even winning two games against the No. 1 seed in the West, the Phoenix Suns. Now that’s part of the past, and the Pelicans enter an offseason where they’ll have big questions to answer, especially regarding their 2019 No. 1 overall pick, Zion Williamson.
After three years in the league, Zion’s future is unclear given his injury history and how the Pelicans have performed without him on the court. They have a solid group of players and have demonstrated they can compete for a playoff spot. However, adding Zion to that mix would take them to the next level, but the team’s front office isn’t sure about what type of contract to offer to Zion.
According to recent reports, the Pels are willing to give a 5-year extension to Williamson, but they’ll be careful with guaranteeing all the money, just like the New Orleans Saints do in the NFL.
Via NBC Sports:
Zion Williamson said he’d sign a contract extension if the Pelicans offer this offseason: “Of course, I couldn’t sign it fast enough.”
Pelicans lead executive David Griffin said not so fast.
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.
This is uncommon to see when we talk about big-money contracts, but things are different with Zion. He has been bothered by injuries since he made it to the league, and the Pelicans need to be careful with that. Zion has shown his willingness to re-sign with the team, but not on the terms he would have liked.
