{"id":1485364,"date":"2022-02-24T16:27:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T21:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1485364"},"modified":"2022-02-24T16:29:03","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T21:29:03","slug":"pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelicans Need to Face the Ugly Reality That Zion Williamson Wants Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Almost everything in the media indicates <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/tag\/zion-williamson\/\">Zion Williamson<\/a> doesn\u2019t want to be a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/tag\/new-orleans-pelicans\/\">New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>. But there is one voice missing in the conversation: Zion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, one doesn\u2019t have to be an expert at reading tea leaves to see the situation for what it is. The team <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/zion-williamsons-pelicans-career-on-last-legs\/\">marketed its season ticket packages<\/a> for next season without mentioning its erstwhile franchise player. If that doesn\u2019t scream that there\u2019s a crisis brewing, nothing does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The nightmare scenario president of basketball operations David Griffin hoped he\u2019d never face is here. What is Griffin going to do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-there-s-never-been-a-belief-zion-williamson-wanted-new-orleans\">There\u2019s never been a belief Zion Williamson wanted New Orleans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zion Williamson Almost Didn\u2019t Declare for the NBA Draft | The Ringer\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cciu7HhZeVg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The New Orleans Pelicans won the draft lottery in 2019 and selected the next big thing, Duke standout Zion Williamson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone who says today they would have taken Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant over Williamson on June 20, 2019, is lying. Of course, there was one exception; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/rp3natural\/status\/1109429909829677056\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">draft analyst Rashad Phillips<\/a> had Morant as his guy months before the draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But otherwise, the basketball world was all in on Zion. He was the generational Charles Barkley, a power forward at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds who blended brute force with athleticism in a way that was reminiscent of the Hall of Famer from the 1980s and 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In January 2020, Williamson admitted to former New Orleans teammate JJ Redick that he wanted to return to Duke for a second season. On <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Cciu7HhZeVg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The JJ Redick Podcast<\/a><\/em>, the young star told the veteran that he waited until the declaration deadline to decide to enter the draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s been an injury-filled ride since. A torn meniscus in his summer league debut limited Williamson to 24 games as a rookie. He played 61 games last season and made the All-Star Game but hasn\u2019t played this season due to a broken bone in his right foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After newly acquired Pelicans guard CJ McCollum revealed he hadn\u2019t spoken to Zion during his first 11 days with the team, Redick <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/zion-williamson-must-be-out-of-line-for-jj-redick-to-betray-the-duke-brotherhood\/\">went scorched earth on Williamson<\/a>, questioning his investment in the franchise and his shortcomings as a teammate. It was remarkable coming from one former Duke star about another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-new-orleans-pelicans-have-a-ticking-timebomb-zion-williamson-s-contract\">The New Orleans Pelicans have a ticking timebomb: Zion Williamson\u2019s contract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pelicans know something about Zion Williamson that we may not know - Matt Barnes | NBA Today\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FRmaGcsFZz8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Zion Williamson is in the third year of his rookie contract, and the New Orleans Pelicans took the perfunctory step of exercising their option for the final season of the deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What that means is that the <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/zion-williamson-injury-update-puts-new-orleans-pelicans-into-an-impossible-181-million-position\/\">clock starts ticking on July 1<\/a>. If next season\u2019s calendar resembles that of 2021\u201322, the season will open on Oct. 18. That means the Pelicans have until the day before to get an extension done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Pelicans can offer five years and up to $181 million. That\u2019s a hefty commitment to a player with 85 games over three seasons. But it\u2019s not unprecedented. The Philadelphia 76ers gave Joel Embiid a max extension in 2018 even though he played in just 31 games to that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worked out for the Sixers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without an extension, Williamson becomes a free agent in July 2023. New Orleans can make the big man a restricted free agent by extending a $17.6 million qualifying offer. That QO figure assumes Zion plays 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in 2022\u201323. If he doesn\u2019t meet one of those benchmarks, the offer drops to $7.7 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s likely Griffin and the Pelicans are starting to consider a Plan B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-new-orleans-pelicans-face-the-prospect-of-trading-their-would-be-star\">The New Orleans Pelicans face the prospect of trading their would-be star<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg?w=1024&#038;h=576&#038;strip=all&#038;quality=89\" alt=\"The last time we saw Zion Williamson wearing a New Orleans Pelicans uniform was on media day last September. Will it be the last time ever?\" class=\"wp-image-1485366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg?w=300&amp;h=169 300w, https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg?w=768&amp;h=432 768w, https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg?w=1024&amp;h=576 1024w, https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg?w=107&amp;h=60 107w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>The last time we saw Zion Williamson wearing a New Orleans Pelicans uniform was on media day last September. Will it be the last time ever? | Sean Gardner\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If the New Orleans Pelicans can\u2019t get Zion Williamson\u2019s signature on an extension before next season, he\u2019ll hit restricted free agency. While the team could match any offer sheet the star forward receives, Zion might see a quicker road out of NOLA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If he signs the qualifying offer, Williamson hits unrestricted free agency in July 2024. New Orleans gets nothing but a vapor trail in that scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the player hasn\u2019t publicly stated a desire to leave the Pelicans, his family made lots of noise on that subject last summer. According to a report in <a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/2656520\/2021\/06\/17\/inside-the-end-of-stan-van-gundy-with-the-pelicans-and-an-ongoing-battle-to-keep-zion-williamson-happy\/?source=twitterhq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Athletic<\/a>, members of Williamson\u2019s inner circle blasted the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem for Griffin is that Zion\u2019s foot injury isn\u2019t helping his trade value. And as Howard Beck of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/2022\/02\/20\/nba-superstar-empowerment-disruption-trades\">Sports Illustrated<\/a> pointed out, the sharks are already circling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe teams that have a star are feverishly doing everything to keep them happy,\u201d Beck wrote. \u201cThe rest are plotting to poach them. Around the league, team executives are already bracing (and\/or plotting) for the next disenfranchised star to ask out, with speculation focused on Zion Williamson in New Orleans, Damian Lillard in Portland, and Donovan Mitchell in Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing says we\u2019re getting back 25 cents on the dollar than trading an injury-prone player who is demanding a deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is where the New Orleans Pelicans are, and Griffin will likely have to make the best choice from two less-than-desirable options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does he trade Zion Williamson before next year\u2019s trade deadline to recoup something? Or does he play out the string and get left empty-handed when Zion walks away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not quite being dealt a pocket 7-2 off-suit, but it\u2019s close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Statistics courtesy of <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Basketball Reference<\/em><\/a><em>. Contract information courtesy of <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Spotrac<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/luka-doncic-response-body-criticism-should-be-serious-wake-up-call-zion-williamson\/\">Luka Doncic\u2019s Response to Body Criticism Should Be a Serious Wake-up Call for Zion Williamson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zion Williamson hasn't said publicly he wants to leave the New Orleans Pelicans. But just about everything he does screams it from the mountaintops.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":1485366,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4870,11089],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v22.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pelicans Need to Face the Ugly Reality That Zion Williamson Wants Out - Sports7<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read why New Orleans Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin is down to two choices \u2014 bad and worse \u2014 with Zion Williamson.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pelicans Need to Face the Ugly Reality That Zion Williamson Wants Out\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read why New Orleans Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin is down to two choices \u2014 bad and worse \u2014 with Zion Williamson.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports7\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-24T21:27:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-24T21:29:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Phil Watson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Pelicans Need to Face the Ugly Reality That Zion Williamson Wants Out\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Phil_Watson_UP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Phil Watson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/\",\"name\":\"Pelicans Need to Face the Ugly Reality That Zion Williamson Wants Out - Sports7\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-24T21:27:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-24T21:29:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/#\/schema\/person\/ee47ea0b4ff959cd6a683f377450ccc6\"},\"description\":\"Read why New Orleans Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin is down to two choices \u2014 bad and worse \u2014 with Zion Williamson.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/pelicans-need-face-the-ugly-reality-that-zion-williamson-wants-out\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sports7.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/zion-1.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"The last time we saw Zion Williamson wearing a New Orleans Pelicans uniform was on media day last September. 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