Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson says he'd sign a max contract extension if the New Orleans Pelicans offered one.

Whether they're willing to do so is another question entirely. 

"I don't think they're offering a five-year max," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast (11-minute mark). "... I don't think they're going to want to guarantee the full five years. I think they'll come into it not wanting him to have a player option. In other words, it will be a five-year contract and we'll have protection. And they'll want to haggle over what constitutes the protection."

Williamson is eligible to sign an extension this summer that could pay him up to $223 million if he makes an All-NBA team next season. Should he fail to make an All-NBA team, the max would top out at around $185 million.

While the Pelicans wouldn't hesitate to pay a healthy version of Williamson any number, we're yet to see him get through a full NBA season without injury. He missed the entire 2021-22 season while recovering from offseason foot surgery and has played just 85 total games in three seasons.

"Obviously, that conversation is going to be one that will be a challenge," Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters of a Williamson extension. "When it's time to have that, we'll have it. And right now what we're focused on is him being healthy, and [being in] kind of elite condition to play basketball and we'll start there."

The Pelicans could look at the five-year, $148 million extension signed by Joel Embiid in 2017 as a way to give themselves protection. Embiid's rookie-scale extension had clauses that protected the team in case of injury, and it was signed after the center had played in only 31 NBA games.

New Orleans has a slightly larger sample of Williamson's dominance than the Sixers did Embiid, but the financial implications are also a little higher. It would likely be smart of Williamson to sign any contract that guarantees him a nine-figure payday, even if it's slightly below the full max or comes with playing-time incentives.

If he goes through the rest of his career healthy, it's likely he'll take only a small financial hit in exchange for generational long-term security. 

If the New Orleans Pelicans defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in the final round of the NBA play-in tournament on Friday and advance to play the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, don't expect one of their best players to return to the court.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Thursday on NBA Today that the Pelicans have no intention of playing Zion Williamson if they advance to face the Suns. New Orleans is more focused on getting him ready for the 2022-23 campaign, Windhorst added.

Windhorst's comments come after the Pelicans told ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth (h/t Real GM) that there was "no chance" Williamson would play against the Pelicans or in a potential first-round series against the Suns. The team added that "a return to play is not imminent."

Williamson has not played since May of last season and underwent offseason foot surgery after suffering a broken foot over the summer. He was supposed to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 campaign, but wasn't cleared to participate in full basketball activities until November. 

While the 21-year-old was back on the court practicing, he began to experience soreness in his surgically repaired foot and was shut down before getting an injection in his foot in January. 

At that point, Williamson continued rehabbing his foot injury away from the Pelicans in Portland, Oregon, and Christian Clark of NOLA.com reported in February that Williamson could need a second surgery on his foot. 

It was revealed in March that Williamson did not need another surgery on his foot and was making progress in his rehab. Fans were hopeful of a possible return when Williamson posted a video of himself doing a between-the-legs dunk late last month, but Windhorst reported shortly after that the big man wasn't medically cleared "to do that kind of dunk" by the Pelicans. 

Williamson then performed a 360-dunk during warmups before the Pelicans' play-in game against the Spurs, but all signs have pointed to the 2019 first overall pick not suiting up this year. 

Williamson had an impressive sophomore season during the 2020-21 campaign, earning his first All-Star selection after averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor in 61 games. 

If Williamson can return to form and avoid injury next season, the Pelicans could be a dangerous team in the Western Conference. 

Zion Williamson participated in a five-on-five scrimmage with the New Orleans Pelicans last week and reportedly "looked good," Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on The Pat McAfee Show:

Despite the success, the team will still remain cautious as he works his way back to full strength.

"After not playing all season, I don't expect Zion Williamson during this play-in or playoffs," Charania said.

Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 regular season while recovering from a foot injury he suffered in the offseason.

The 21-year-old was initially expected to return in time for the start of the season, but continued setbacks kept him off the court.

Charania noted he felt "soreness" the last time he participated in five-on-five scrimmages in December.

The Pelicans were able to earn a spot in the play-in tournament without him, finishing with the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. They must beat the San Antonio Spurs and then the loser of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers in order to earn the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

The squad's chances of advancing would be greater with Williamson on the roster, but it doesn't appear likely he will return to the lineup until next year.

The forward remains a promising player, earning an All-Star selection in his lone full season in the NBA. He finished 2020-21 with averages of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while hitting 61.1 percent of his attempts from the field.

If the 2019 No. 1 overall pick can return to full strength next season, the Pelicans can be a dangerous team in the Western Conference.

Williamson still must prove his durability after playing just 85 total games in three NBA seasons.       

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson likely won't play in a regular-season game this year, but he is making progress in his recovery from his foot injury.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters that Williamson did some full-court work on Thursday by participating in a "controlled scrimmage" with player development coaches.

The Pelicans (35-44) have three games left on the schedule, including Thursday night's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. New Orleans is locked into a spot in the play-in tournament, giving the team the chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

If the Pelicans do advance in the postseason, it would be a surprise to see Williamson take the floor without getting his feet wet in a regular-season game first. However, his progression in his recovery could be enough to sway New Orleans to add him to the lineup whenever the opportunity arises.

Williamson posted a video of himself dunking on social media in March. Near the end of the month, he had also traveled with the team on a multi-game road trip for the first time this year.

New Orleans has won seven of its last 10 games and four of its last five. The team looks to be gelling at the right time, led by the duo of CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. 

Since being acquired from the Blazers at this year's trade deadline, McCollum has been averaging 25.7 points, 5.2 points above his average in Portland. Ingram has been hobbled by a hamstring injury, but in the five games he played in last month he averaged 29.0 points.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson remains out indefinitely as he rehabs from suffering a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, but he is reportedly making progress.

"Sources say Williamson has progressed to more on-court work and is continuing to move forward in his rehab with Pelicans staffers," ESPN's Andrew Lopez reported Tuesday.

Lopez's tweet came after Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters Tuesday was asked about Williamson.

"He's getting on the floor, doing what he's supposed to do, but no further updates," Green said.

Williamson, who suffered the injury during an offseason workout and has been out ever since, averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds in 2020-21.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic provided an update on March 21 regarding Williamson and stated that he wasn't expected to return this season.

Sources said Zion Williamson is not expected to return to play this season, but that he is making progress toward on-court work. So far, Williamson has been seen doing stationary shooting and is able to bear weight on his injured foot. New Orleans has 11 regular-season games remaining, which leaves an improbably tight window for Williamson to complete the team’s ramp-up stages ranging from one-on-zero to five-on-five scrimmaging. Williamson returned to New Orleans two weeks ago after rehabbing his fractured foot injury in Portland, and the 21-year-old has been cleared to gradually progress in basketball activities. He has been attending Pelicans home games and has appeared to be in positive spirits around teammates and coaches. Williamson underwent surgery to repair his broken foot last summer and had several return targets delayed this season.

Williamson, a former Duke star who went No. 1 overall to the Pels in the 2019 NBA draft, made the All-Star game in just his second NBA season.

The year before, Williamson sat for much of the year with a meniscus tear but still posted 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game.

He's obviously been a big loss for the Pels, yet he could still have an impact should New Orleans qualify for the postseason.

The team has overcome a 1-12 start to move to 34-44 on the year and appear slated for the play-in tournament. The Pelicans control their fate and need to win two games to make the playoffs.

When next year rolls around, New Orleans should threaten the top tier of the Western Conference with CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Williamson forming a strong core four.

For now, they'll hope to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is returning to New Orleans after an extended stay in Portland to rehab his foot injury. 

According to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, Williamson has been "cleared to progress in basketball activities." A timetable for his return remains unclear. 

The Pelicans released a statement March 2 saying that Williamson showed "improved bone healing" in his right foot that required offseason surgery. While Williamson remained out indefinitely, the team said he was expected to "gradually progress to full weight-bearing exercise and basketball activities."

Williamson has yet to play this season because of a fractured fifth metatarsal in his foot. He was expected to return earlier in the year, but he hit a snag in his recovery because of the bone not healing as initially prognosticated.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, Williamson was cleared for full basketball activities Nov. 26. But he experienced soreness in his right foot Dec. 2 and later received an injection in the foot Dec. 16. The 21-year-old had been in Portland rehabbing since Jan. 6.

Despite being without Williamson all season, the Pelicans have made a strong push up the standings since the All-Star break.

They're currently 27-36 and occupy the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, having won four games in a row. They enter Saturday night a half-game behind LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is reportedly "showing improved bone healing" in the foot injury that has kept him out all season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The forward is expected to "gradually" advance toward basketball activity.

Williamson has missed the entire 2021-22 season with a fractured right foot, which he suffered during an offseason workout.

The 21-year-old was originally expected to be ready for the start of the season, but Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin revealed in October that the Duke product would not be ready to take the court. 

While Williamson missed most of his 2019-20 rookie season because of a torn right lateral meniscus, he impressed in his return, averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor in 24 games. 

He followed that with an even better sophomore season, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor in 61 games. Before the injury, the 2019 first overall pick was expected to evolve further this year.

New Orleans has struggled with Williamson sidelined. The Pelicans traded for CJ McCollum before the Feb. 10 deadline but still sit tied for 10th in the Western Conference with a 25-36 record.

With just over a month left in the regular season, time is running out for Williamson to make his return.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum wants people to take it easy on Zion Williamson, telling reporters Thursday to "leave the young fella alone."

Williamson has missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury, leading to speculation about his future with the organization, but McCollum indicated there were no concerns.

"He'll be healthy eventually, and when he is, we'll welcome him with open arms," McCollum said.

McCollum was traded to the Pelicans on Feb. 8 after spending his whole career with the Portland Trail Blazers, but during All-Star Weekend, the ninth-year guard told TNT that he hadn't spoken to Williamson. 

ESPN's Malika Andrews reported Williamson has since reached out and the two have spoken.

It was enough to raise questions about Zion's role with the organization, especially after former Pelican JJ Redick called the 21-year-old a "detached teammate" during an interview Tuesday on ESPN's First Take.

McCollum, who has two more seasons left on his current contract, is still looking to build fences with the third-year player.

Williamson was an All-Star last season with averages of 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, but injuries and off-court concerns remain a story going forward.