By: Justin Gincauskas
Zion Williamson’s final three years of his contract will no longer be guaranteed, as the 23-year-old triggered a clause after appearing in 29 games last season. Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans agreed to a five-year, $197.2 million contract extension in the summer of 2022.
By sitting out more than 22 games last season (Williamson missed 53 games), he triggered a clause that turns his salary from guaranteed to non-guaranteed for the 2025-26 season and the two seasons after that.
How Williamson Can Earn That Money Back
Although Williamson’s final three years are no longer guaranteed, there is a chance for him to earn that money back. If he hits specific benchmarks, including passing “weigh-in checkpoints” and playing in a certain number of games throughout the 2024-25 season, Williamson can earn percentages of that guaranteed salary back. He must continue to hit these benchmarks each year to guarantee his salary for the following season.
There will be six “weigh-in checkpoints” each season starting in 2024-25. If he passes all six, Williamson would guarantee 20% of his salary for 2025-26.
For the games played part of the clause, if Williamson appears in at least 41 games, he guarantees himself another 40% of his salary for 2025-26. If he plays in at least 51 games, he gets an additional 20%, and if Williamson plays in 61 or more games in 2024-25, he will earn the final 20% of his salary for 2025-26.
The same milestones apply for the following two seasons.
The Pelicans are also protected if Williamson has more issues with his right foot, which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season. If he suffers a fracture or stress injury to that same foot, that would make half of his 2024-25 contract no longer guaranteed if he was released.
Although it is unlikely to happen, the Pelicans could hypothetically waive Williamson after the 2024-25 season at no cost to them financially.
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