Injury-plagued star Zion Williamson is very unlikely to be traded by the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason.
That’s according to the latest intel from The Athletic’s Will Guillory, who reported the chances of Williamson being moved before the start of the 2025-26 season are slim at best.
Williamson’s camp has been in contact with Pelicans GM Joe Dumars on several occasions and both parties are on the same page ahead of the new campaign
The 24-year-old averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 30 games this past regular season, being shut down in mid March with a bone bruise in his back.
Williamson has now finished four of his six NBA seasons playing 30 games or fewer and the struggle to keep him on the floor has proven to be an irritating battle for the Pelicans.
The former number one overall pick is without doubt one of the most explosive and entertaining players in the league but he simply isn’t available often enough to be recognised as one of the elite-level guys.
Williamson missed 27 consecutive games earlier in the season with a strained hamstring and alongside various other issues, wasn’t able to put his print on a disappointing season for New Orleans who finished 14th in the Western Conference.
WATCH: Zion Williamson’s electric 40-point game vs Sacramento Kings in February
Why does Zion Williamson keep getting injured?
Williamson’s inability to be there for his team consistently comes down to a number of factors. He has a unique body type – a large build with immense power.
His play style relies heavily on his strength and explosiveness in getting to the basket and being a dominant force inside, which involves a fair share of contact and hefty bumps.
That strength and explosiveness puts a significant strain on his body and invariably his legs and ankles are at higher risk of injury due to his style of attack.
Not only that, his conditioning definitely could be better – similar to Luka Doncic’s diet and fitness regime – and his extensive injury history means he is more susceptible to new ones in the same areas.
The Pelicans had all of that in mind when they offered him a maximum five-year, $197.2 million contract extension in 2022, which requires him to earn guaranteed money as he goes.
Williamson has a weigh-in criteria that requires him to have a combined weight and body fat percentage below 295 to guarantee 20% of his salary for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
The remaining 80% becomes guaranteed based on the number of games he plays in the previous season. The deal was structured to protect New Orleans in the event he continues to struggle with injuries, which has come true.
The final three years of his contract became no longer guaranteed because he was unable to play the minimum games required in the deal during the 2022-23 campaign.
