NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson and former ROY winner expected to sign max extensions right away
Rising superstars Zion Williamson and Ja Morant have had a lot of conversation surrounding them and their contract extensions. Both players are eligible for rookie max extensions and are expected to sign them.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies are set to offer max contract extensions immediately. Williamson and Morant are expected to sign them and not dwell on them too much. Wojnarowski said:
"Expect Zion Williamson along with Ja Morant, who is the No. 2 pick in his draft. Those are going to be quick, max deal agreements out of the gate."
There were some reservations earlier in the season about offering Williamson the max because of how injury prone he has been since his debut. However, there were no such question marks about Ja Morant, who led his team to the Western Conference semifinals this year.
David Griffin, the vice president of basketball operations for the Pelicans, stated that it was an "easy decision" to offer Zion the max contract. This helped downplay the hesitation from the Pelicans about their superstar's health for the long-term future.
RUMOR: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, Grizzlies’ Ja Morant max deals get clear-cut update from Woj latestsports.online/2022/06/12/rum…
What does the future hold for the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson?
The New Orleans Pelicans endured a tumultuous season.
They started 3-16 under first-year coach Willie Green in the month after announcing Williamson had offseason foot surgery. But the franchise always asserted its intention to make the playoffs, even without Williamson.
The acquisition of CJ McCollum from the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline in mid-February accentuated that point. After standing 36-46 at the end of January, New Orleans went 18-14 for the rest of the season.
The Pels then won two play-in games. They then took the Phoenix Suns, who had the NBA's best record, to six games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Zion Williamson is a human wrecking ball.
Pelicans gonna be scary next season.
https://t.co/kBjR2n6gig
Once Williamson is healthy again, he, along with Brandon Ingram and McCollum, could potentially lead the Pelicans deep into the postseason. Williamson was an All-Star, averaging 27.0 points per game, in the one healthy season of his career (last season).
In those three, the New Orleans Pelicans will have players who can get a bucket at will.
Zion Williamson will always attract double teams as his game is predicated on his ability inside the arc. When the defense collapses on him, he can dish it out to the open man in McCollum or Ingram.
However, the current need of the hour for both Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans is for him to get healthy and stay healthy. The future of the franchise is essentially predicated on Williamson's health.