Zion Williamson has a clause in his contract that stipulates the sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295, or else the Pelicans can pay him less.
Williamson is injured once again and has missed his last 22 games, with his return date being repeatedly pushed back by the team.
He has previously struggled to keep his weight down during stints on the sidelines and according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, his weight has previously ballooned to 330 lbs.
The Pelicans have always been extra cautious with Zion, and the end of the regular season less than two months away.
New Orleans are also dropping in the standings, so it’s conceivable that they could decide to shut him down for the season.
That would mean another four to six months of no game action.
So if Zion wants to keep his weight down and his bank balance in check, he could have quite the challenge ahead of him.
On one hand, the Pelicans could be about to save some money. On the other hand, they could be dealing with a disgruntled Zion.