Is Zion Williamson’s Weight a Clause for Concern?

Zion Williamson is a terror in the NBA for those who need the reminder. At 6’6” and 285 pounds, his body frame is not typically seen on a basketball court. The number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is averaging 25.7 points and seven rebounds per game. Before entering the league, Williamson played in front of former President Barack Obama while starring for Duke University. Before that, he was a McDonald’s All-American with viral videos showcasing his 45” vertical leap (higher than dunk king Vince Carter). Fast forward to 2022, and Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans team included a weight clause in his new contract. The concern for his health is apparent because a contract clause like this is rare for NBA players.

Injury Concerns Weigh Heavy

In that same President Obama game, he suffered a knee injury that ended his regular season. Some people place the blame on his shoes. Zion has played in only 85 games, entering his fourth year in the league. He missed 44 games his rookie year with a meniscus tear and the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury. Some reports had Zion Williamson’s weight ballooning to 330 pounds while rehabbing last year.

What do you do when your franchise player has missed so much time in his first few seasons, as well as his only college season? Pay him the max, of course! Williamson received a maximum rookie extension this summer which pays $193 million over five years. Incentives could take the deal to as high as $231 million. That is a major investment for someone who has not proven that he can stay on the court. So it is only right that the Pelicans protect themselves to some degree.

The Clause in Question

The weight clause states Zion must keep the sum of his weight and body fat percentage below 295; if not, the guaranteed money in his contract decreases. This seems like a tough task considering he played at 284 pounds in college. Of course, this would only apply if he is ever waived (i.e., eats himself out of the league). I would be more concerned with how Williamson feels mentally after so much time away from competition at the top level.

Most punitive NBA contract clauses decrease incentives for missed time due to injury, not for weight. One such example is Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid who had injuries during his time in college and early in his NBA career. Embiid was signed to a max extension with injury clauses and has since produced multiple MVP-level seasons.

Zion Williamson will have to match that effort to allay concerns about his weight. But it appears that New Orleans won’t necessarily penalize him if he gets injured again. He just needs to be disciplined while working towards a return.

The Future of the Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are on their third head coach (former NBA player Willie Green) since drafting Zion Williamson in 2019. They made the playoffs last year by mortgaging part of their future in a trade for veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum. Despite giving the number one seed Phoenix Suns all that they could handle before bowing out in round one, it’s hard to ignore the dismal regular season that preceded. They finished ten games below .500 and had to make the playoffs as a ninth seed in the play-in tournament.

The Pelicans have pieces in place, though. Brandon Ingram has made an All-Star team and averages 18.5 points per game for his career. Defensive stalwart Herb Jones was a second-round steal in the draft last year. Young players like Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III received valuable playoff minutes in their rookie debuts. Their big men, led by veteran Jonas Valanciunas, have years of NBA playoff experience playing for other teams. Will Zion buoy this team or sink them?

Weight on Zion’s Shoulders

Zion Williamson is a phenom. The Pelicans have invested their future in him. Zion has already made an NBA All-Star team, and his future is still very bright. Adding Williamson to the mix makes New Orleans one of the teams to watch as NBA training camps kick off next month.

But, the food in New Orleans is delicious. No player under 6’-9” is within 25 pounds of Zion Williamson’s listed weight. Any more injury time could lead to an emotional toll weighing on his psyche. New Orleans still needs to prove viable as an NBA destination. Consistently losing and ownership transitions could make them vulnerable to relocation. After all, the Pelicans have only had two winning seasons under the current ownership. They have already lost a franchise player when NBA superstar Anthony Davis demanded a trade to the LA Lakers with two years left on his max deal. Davis has since won a championship alongside future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James in the Orlando bubble.

I firmly believe that Zion Williamson is one of the premier young guys in this league. His uniqueness is a weapon that will allow the Pelican’s multiple angles to attack when on offense and defense. Zion needs a more focused regimen off the court so his downtime can be used to improve his game rather than rehab his body. He has a hill to climb to justify that contract extension, but he should not let expectations weigh down his promise.

 

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