Zion Williamson is one of the best young players in the NBA.
In just his rookie season we saw that he can be a franchise-changing player. The only thing stopping him is injury.
Zion Williamson is 6’6 284 pounds and is crazy athletic. This makes him terrible to guard for a defense but also puts his body at risk of injury.
Zion did not play at all last season due to injury. This would scare any team.
That is why the New Orleans Pelicans added a weight clause into his contract.
The New Orleans Pelicans want Zion Williamson around for a while, but only on one big condition.
The Pelicans star signed a five-year, $193 million max contract earlier this month that could be worth as much as $231 million. According to The Times-Picayune, the contract stipulates that Williamson must weigh in at below 295 pounds periodically throughout the deal. His body fat percentage will also be monitored.
Should Williamson tip the scales too much, the amount of guaranteed money in his contract can be reduced.
Anyone who has followed Williamson’s professional career so far can probably understand why the Pelicans would do this. The 22-year-old’s weight and conditioning have been major issues, like when he reported to training camp last September at “well above” 300 pounds.
If I’m a Pelicans fan this does worry me. If the Pelicans felt the need to do this clearly they have major concerns. With that being said if Zion is healthy there is no young player with a higher upside.