If you're into NBA-contract minutiae, today is your lucky day. Zion Williamson, who signed a stipulation-laden maximum contract extension with the Pelicans in the summer of 2022, has already triggered a clause that has made the final three seasons of the extension non-guaranteed, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.
Williamson can, however, potentially get all of that money guaranteed again. It's complicated. But here's what happened and how it reportedly works:
- Last season, Williamson needed to miss fewer than 23 games to avoid his 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 salaries becoming non-guaranteed. He missed 53 games.
- If Williamson passes six "weigh-in-checkpoints" during the 2024-25 season -- to pass, his body fat percentage and weight must add up to no more than 295 (i.e. if he weighs in at 285 pounds, he cannot exceed 10% body fat ) -- then 20% of his 2025-26 salary will become guaranteed.
- If he plays in at least 41 games in 2024-25, another 40% of his 2025-26 salary will become guaranteed. If he plays in at least 51 games, another 20% would be guaranteed on top of that. If he plays in at least 61 games (and doesn't violate the weight clause), then his entire 2025-26 salary will be guaranteed.
- The above markers are the same for the years that follow. In other words, by being available and passing the weight check-ins, he can guarantee his salary for the next season.
- If Williamson has significant issues with his surgically repaired fifth metatarsal in his right foot (i.e. "a fracture or a stress injury to that bone or the healed callus" or "what the contract calls a 'hardware failure' related to the previous injury," per The Athletic) this season, then half of his 2024-25 salary will become non-guaranteed.
Williamson signed the contract after being sidelined for the entire 2021-22 season. He has missed only five of New Orleans' 28 games this season, but has still only appeared in a total of 137 games since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019. The above stipulations are meant to reward Williamson for producing like a superstar when healthy, but protect the Pelicans in the event that he can't stay healthy.
Those protections, however, only help New Orleans if it eventually decides to waive its franchise player (or trade him, as he'd have less value on a fully guaranteed contract). If he's not waived on or before Jan. 7, 2025, that season's salary will become fully guaranteed, per The Athletic. His guarantee date for the following three seasons is July 15 of the offseason prior (i.e. July 15, 2025 for his 2025-26 salary).
The short version of the above: Most of Williamson's contract is now fully non-guaranteed because he missed so much time last season. This is new information, but ultimately none of the stipulations in his contract matter unless his career deteriorates to the point where his team wants to waive him.
