Zion Williamson is a superstar. He’s been in the league since the 2019-2020 season and has earned two NBA All-Star nods in his career. While Williamson has yet to make an All-NBA team, his focus has been on helping the New Orleans Pelicans find a way to compete when he’s on the court.
The Pelicans are currently 18-48 as they sit in the 14th seed in the Western Conference. They traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors and lost Dejounte Murray for the season to an unfortunate Achilles injury, two primary reasons for the lack of their success.
Despite the lack of realistic postseason aspirations, Williamson’s play has reached a high level, as he is currently averaging 24.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 56.7% shooting from the field.
Zion Williamson’s Current Contract, Salary, and Goal for the Pelicans
Williamson is currently making $36,725,670 this season in the second year of a five-year, $197,230,450 deal. Williamson will make $39,446,090 next season as the projected top earner on the Pelicans’ payroll.
Despite the massive contract, it has been reported that Williamson’s net worth at the present time is $18 million, as the earnings from that new contract are just starting to kick in.
Williamson still has high aspirations for the Pelicans despite how this season has unfolded. Following his triple-double performance in New Orleans’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, Williamson spoke about his vision for the team:
“It comes down to being a pro and what you want to get out of it… that doesn’t mean we can’t build into something next year, build into better habits.”
Williamson is stepping into the primary leadership role with Pelicans, They’re also projected to get Murray back at some point next season, a development that should be critical to allowing them to make a playoff push.
Can the Pelicans Build a Playoff Team?
The Pelicans’ roster boasts several players that will be vital pieces, but it all starts with Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Murray upon his return. Williamson will command a large salary next season, as will Murphy and Murray, but there will definitely be some free agents eager to play with the three.
Another key player primed to make an impact next season is defensive stalwart Herbert Jones, who was lost for the season in February due to a shoulder injury. There are rumors that the Pelicans could look to trade C.J. McCollum, but nothing is set in stone.
The Pelicans will naturally have to contend with a difficult Western Conference, but one thing is for certain: Williamson wants to compete and use the rest of this season to build a foundation for a more successful 2025-26 season.
