New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson has been suspended one game after arriving late to the New Orleans Pelicans' team flight to Philadelphia on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Pelicans announced the suspension on Friday as "a violation of team policies."

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Williamson has been late for "multiple practices" this season in addition to being late for Thursday's flight.

Williamson will not play in Friday's road game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He will rejoin the Pelicans on Saturday, according to the team.

Statement from David Griffin:

“This one game suspension is a result of failing to meet our team standards. His dedication to this organization is of paramount significance to us and to him. He has taken accountability for his actions and reaffirmed that commitment to the team…

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 10, 2025

Zion Williamson was late for Thursday's team flight to Philadelphia, leading the Pelicans to suspend him for tonight's game against the 76ers, sources said. https://t.co/sI5YHaouLr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 10, 2025

Pelicans EVP of basketball operations David Griffin said in a statement that Williamson "has taken accountability for his actions and reaffirmed that commitment to the team today."

"I'm confident he will continue to evolve positively on and off the floor," Griffin said about Williamson.

Williamson missed 27 games with a hamstring injury before returning for Tuesday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He was listed as out due to return to competition reconditioning ahead of Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Williamson said in his own statement that he takes "full responsibility" for the suspension, which will cost him $253,280, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

"I've worked extremely hard in rehab to get healthy to deliver for this team. There is no excuse for being late to team activities," Williamson said in his statement.

"I have apologized to Mrs. Benson and my teammates and coaches and I also owe an apology to the fans. I can and will be better as a teammate and member of this organization."

Williamson had already missed 206 regular-season games prior to the 2024-25 season as injuries impacted the first five seasons of his NBA career.

He suffered his latest hamstring injury during a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 6.

When returning two months later, he played 26 minutes on a minutes restriction, finishing Tuesday's loss with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

Williamson said after the game that he had an "extreme" focus during his rehab from the injury, per The Athletic's William Guillory.

"We found different ways to work and not just be stagnant," Williamson said, per Guillory. "Even before I was running, the conditioning the team had me doing was a lot, but it was always good work. Week by week, I could feel the progression."

Williamson will now look to continue that forward momentum despite sitting out a second straight game on Friday.

The Pelicans are set to play road games against the Boston Celtics on Sunday and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday home game against the Dallas Mavericks.

New Orleans heads into Friday's contest ranked 29th in the NBA with a 7-31 record. Improving over the second half of the season could hinge on Williamson's availability going forward.

After a successful return to the court following a two-month absence, Zion Williamson's immediate future is likely going to be with the New Orleans Pelicans.

On Wednesday's episode of Get Up (starts at 1:00 mark), ESPN's Brian Windhorst said there is "no sense" the Pelicans are looking to move the two-time All-Star prior to the trade deadline.

Even if the Pelicans wanted to trade Williamson, the primary issue is the offers likely wouldn't amount to much because injuries make him an unreliable player.

Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves was Williamson's first appearance since Nov. 6 due to a hamstring injury. He looked really good with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Williamson has played in 191 out of 427 possible regular-season games in his six seasons. There were also questions in the past about his dedication to keeping himself in peak condition.

There were reports in December 2021 that Williamson's weight got up to 330 pounds. When he signed a five-year, $193 million extension in July 2022, the Pelicans included a weight clause that required him to hit certain benchmarks at multiple times throughout each season.

By all accounts, Williamson has had no problems hitting those benchmarks since signing the contract. He was on track to satisfy the requirement earlier this season, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks.

Willamson's contract, which has three years remaining after this season, wouldn't be difficult to trade because so much of his money is tied to his weigh-in benchmarks and games played.

Per Spotrac, Williamson's salary is not guaranteed in each of the next three seasons. It becomes fully guaranteed on July 15 every year through 2027.

Until Williamson proves he can stay healthy and productive, there's nothing for the Pelicans to gain by trying to move him unless they just decide it's time to move on. His return on Tuesday did show that he can be an impact player, which makes it hard to just give up on him.

The Pelicans, whose 7-30 record is the worst in the Western Conference, should be a seller before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. It just doesn't make sense for Williamson to be a player they try to move on from at this point unless a surprisingly strong offer comes along.

There aren't many silver linings for the 2024-25 New Orleans Pelicans, but they got one even in defeat Tuesday.

Zion Williamson is back.

The forward returned after missing the last 27 games with a hamstring injury and played in just his seventh contest of the season. He didn't only play, he uncorked a number of rim-rattling dunks and looked the part of someone who can help New Orleans attempt to bounce back from its abysmal start.

Still, it wasn't enough in Tuesday's Western Conference showdown at Smoothie King Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves emerged with the 104-97 victory and dropped the Pelicans to 7-30 overall.

ZION IS BACK 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/4jtHzpg8uU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2025

Anthony Edwards tallied 32 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals on 7-of-11 shooting from deep. He wasn't a one-man show, though, as Naz Reid posted a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds while Julius Randle added 16 points.

There were also plenty of eyes on the other superstar, and Williamson finished with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Teammate Dejounte Murray led the Pelicans with 29 points, six steals and six assists, but it was Williamson who drew much of the reaction from social media:

WELCOME BACK ZION 💥 pic.twitter.com/YOazlzsQbY

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2025

Zion back tonight 🔥🙏🏾💪🏾

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 7, 2025

No matter how many times he upsets me I just can’t ever fully give up on Zion man. I love watching him so much I’ll always have a bias towards him

— Isaac Gutierrez (@byisaacg) January 8, 2025

The Pelicans are just different when Zion is playing. You feel him every possession

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) January 8, 2025

This the Zion that ended last season visually

— Chris Conner (@Impatientbull) January 8, 2025

Man, it’s great to see Zion on the floor again

There’s really no one like him

— Jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) January 8, 2025

The Zion x Dejounte connection is real ladies and gentlemen.

— Brady (@sideshowbrady) January 8, 2025

Nothing provides me with more joy than watching a healthy Zion Williamson

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) January 8, 2025

Zion looks fast

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 8, 2025

I think Zion is officially back 😳

— Erin Summers (@ErinESummers) January 8, 2025

I wish Zion could stay healthy. He's so damn good and so much fun to watch. Glad he's back!

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 8, 2025

While Williamson has been the most high-profile injury for the Pelicans, he is not the only one. Brandon Ingram, Murray and CJ McCollum have also missed notable time this season, which is a primary reason they are among the most disappointing teams in the league.

There was at least more firepower than usual Tuesday with Williamson, Murray and McCollum all playing.

And New Orleans needed that firepower to keep pace with Edwards in the early going, as the two-time All-Star came out on fire from deep and poured in 21 points in the first half. It was a continuation of his recent hot streak that saw him score 53 on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons and 37 in Monday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Murray did a solid job of matching that production by causing havoc on defense and getting into the lane to create looks for himself and others. Williamson also mixed in multiple dunks in the third quarter and showed the bounce he is known for when he is healthy.

Anyone thinking he wouldn't top his first-quarter alley-oop was quite mistaken, as he unleashed a 360-windmill dunk to fire up the crowd when he broke free in transition.

RAHHHHHH every angle of Zion's 360 windmill is incredible pic.twitter.com/qnX132r8lm

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 8, 2025

ABSOLUTE CINEMA pic.twitter.com/MyXDYqDgDI

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 8, 2025

But, as has often been the case this season, the Pelicans couldn't make enough plays down the stretch to earn the win. The visitors maintained a double-digit lead for much of the fourth quarter, which provided enough cushion to survive a final push from New Orleans that included Murray causing turnovers, dishing out assists and scoring himself.

Now the Timberwolves will look to build on the momentum of their latest win when they face the Orlando Magic on the road Thursday.

Amid a disastrous season for the New Orleans Pelicans, they can at least celebrate the return of star forward Zion Williamson to the court.

The team confirmed Williamson is available to play Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Zion is back! 💪

He is available for tonight's #Pelicans game vs the Timberwolves (7 pm CT) 🏀 pic.twitter.com/Ra6np3QwxR

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 7, 2025

The two-time All-Star has been out of the lineup since Nov. 6 while dealing with a hamstring injury. In the six games he's played, he has averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Williamson had the healthiest season of his career a year ago, logging 70 appearances and putting up 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He looked like the best version of himself in the Pelicans' play-in game when he put up 40 points and 11 boards as New Orleans fell just short of knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers.

Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Williamson suffered a hamstring at the end of that contest and was sidelined for the rest of the postseason. With no Williamson, the Pelicans advanced to the playoffs with a play-in win over the Sacramento Kings but were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

With New Orleans trending down this season, Williamson's future with the organization could be in question. He's under contract until 2028, but the Pelicans could shop him on the trade market if they decide to commit to a rebuild.

Even with his injury history, teams are seemingly still high on Williamson. One NBA executive even said he's in the "franchise-player tier" when healthy, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks.

Now that he's healthy again, Williamson can remind everyone of his status.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has a chance to return to action this week after having been sidelined by a hamstring injury for two months, head coach Willie Green said on Monday.

Willie Green said "there's a chance" Zion Williamson will be able to play this week. Said Williamson went through 5-on-5 practice today.

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 6, 2025

I know no one wants to hear this, but everyone I've talked to says Zion has looked really good during the rehab process.

None of it matters until he's back on the court, but it's gonna be fascinating to see what it looks like with him out there next to Dejounte and this version…

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 6, 2025

Here's a look at New Orleans' upcoming schedule:

• Home game vs. Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday
• Home game vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday
• Road game at Philadelphia 76ers on Friday
• Road game at Boston Celtics on Sunday

Williamson has averaged 22.7 points on 45.2 percent shooting, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists over 31.0 minutes per game. He has played only six games and none since Nov. 6 due to a left hamstring strain.

The Pelicans previously provided a positive and encouraging update on Dec. 24: "Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) has begun the return to play conditioning phase of his rehabilitation program and is expected to return to full practice next week. He will be week-to-week going forward."

Williamson is one of the NBA's most talented and electric players at his best. Unfortunately, injuries have sidelined him for large swaths of time since his 2019-20 rookie year.

A torn meniscus held him to 24 games in 2019-20. He missed all of 2021-22 with a Jones fracture in his right foot. A right hamstring strain limited Williamson to 29 games in 2022-23.

When healthy, though, Williamson is sensational. He's averaged 24.6 points on 58.7 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game over 190 contests.

Hopefully Williamson returns to the court and finally enjoys an unencumbered string of good health. And the same goes for many of the Pels, who have been snakebit by injuries this year including ones to Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins.

Ingram (left ankle sprain) remains out.

The trade market for Brandon Ingram may not be good enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to pull the trigger.

Ingram could hit free agency following the 2024-25 season and recouping as much value as possible for him may be intriguing for the 7-29 team. However, ESPN's NBA Insiders reported that the Pelicans would have made the trade if a team had made an "equivalent" offer for his services:

Less than six months away from hitting unrestricted free agency, Ingram is one of the most interesting trade candidates before the deadline. If another team had been motivated to offer equivalent talent that better fits the Pelicans' roster and payroll, they would have already made that trade.New Orleans (which also faces a looming decision on Zion Williamson's future) might have to count on another team deciding Ingram is the biggest upgrade possible before the deadline. If that doesn't happen, what's the least value the Pelicans would accept in return during a lost season? Or would they consider keeping Ingram for a possible sign-and-trade next summer? We'll know soon.

Ingram has remained productive despite the team's struggles. He is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 rebounds in 18 games in 2024-25. He has not played since Dec. 7 due to an ankle injury.

Ingram and the Pelicans had extension talks "fizzle out" during the offseason. The forward reportedly desires a contract in the $50 million range.

The Pelicans are reportedly seeking a prospect, draft pick and an expiring contract in return, per Evan Sidery of Forbes. This is due to a desire to "dip under the luxury tax." Ingram also prefers to land with a team that is "willing to offer a long-term extension," per Sidery.

As the trade deadline lingers closer, finding a trade partner that will satisfy all of those requirements may become difficult.

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson made a donation in support of the victims of the deadly New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

According to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Williamson announced Friday that he donated $100,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation's Tragedy Fund, saying: "As a father, son and someone who loves the community, this hit me hard. This isn't just about money—but standing together and making sure no one feels alone."

Per the Associated Press, officials said at least 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured when a suspect drove a pickup truck into a large crowd on Bourbon Street during the early morning hours of New Year's Day.

A 42-year-old Texas man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar was identified by the FBI as the driver of the truck. He was shot and killed after exiting the vehicle and exchanging gunfire with police.

Bourbon Street was temporarily shut down following the tragedy, and the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal was postponed.

The game between Notre Dame and Georgia was originally scheduled to be played on New Year's Day at 8:45 p.m. ET, but it was pushed back to Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. Notre Dame scored a 23-10 victory.

Williamson, 24, has been part of the Pelicans organization ever since they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of Duke.

Although he has missed significant time due to injury during his six-year NBA career, he has been a force on the court when healthy, earning two career All-Star selections.

Despite his injury history, the Pels signed Williamson to a five-year, $197.23 million contract extension in 2022.

Williamson has missed all but six of the Pelicans' 34 games this season due to a hamstring injury, but he returned to practice on a limited basis last week and was eyeing a full return to practice this week.

Zion Williamson hasn't played since Nov. 6 due to a strained left hamstring, continuing a career trend of missing huge chunks of time due to injuries.

"He's dominant when he plays," an NBA general manager told ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks. "But when's the last time you've seen him play?"

The result has been utter calamity for the Pelicans, who at 5-28 are the worst team in the NBA and should be weighing the option of simply conducting a full-blown fire sale and rebuilding from scratch.

The question is how much the team could actually get in return for their core players?

Williamson is on the second year of a five-year $197.2 million contract. He's being paid like a superstar but has the availability of your 50-year-old uncle at the local rec league (though the Pelicans wisely protected themselves in the deal, and Williamson has since failed to hit availability benchmarks, meaning the final three years of his deal are either fully or partially non-guaranteed).

"It's really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier," and Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. "The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he's healthy. I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions."

Brandon Ingram is in the final year of his contract, meaning teams aren't going to offer major assets without some assurances he might be willing to sign an extension. And even then, while Ingram is a very good player, is he worth the max money he'll command?

Regardless, he's the most likely member of the Pelicans' core to be traded this season.

Then there's C.J. McCollum, who is 33 years old. He's under contract in the 2025-26 season for a fairly reasonable $30.6 million, but he's at best a third option on a championship team. Even with an extra year under contract, he's a less attractive trade target than Ingram.

So the Pelicans have some decisions to be made. At this point, however, it's very clear that the team can't move forward with the roster as constructed.

Amid a dreadful start to the season, the New Orleans Pelicans could look for a fresh start by exploring trade opportunities involving Zion Williamson.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks, the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls were cited by NBA executives as potential fits for Williamson if the Pelicans decide to trade the 24-year-old.

The Warriors and Bulls are really polar opposites when it comes to what they are trying to accomplish right now.

Golden State is desperately seeking players who can help maximize the remaining years of Stephen Curry's prime. The front office has already made one move to acquire Dennis Schröder from the Brooklyn Nets with the hope he would add more scoring punch.

Chicago has been stuck between wanting to be a playoff contender and needing to rebuild. The solution presented to MacMahon and Marks by one general manager had the Bulls and Pelicans building a deal around Williamson and Zach LaVine.

"I bet Chicago would do that," the general manager said of that hypothetical scenario. MacMahon and Marks did note the same GM added he would decline that offer if he were running the Pelicans.

LaVine is in a similar position to Williamson as being solid players, but also very susceptible to injuries and making more money than his on-court performance is worth.

One benefit of having LaVine instead of Williamson is his contract only has two years remaining after this season if you include his $49 million player option for 2026-27.

Williamson's salary could be much more team-friendly because his contract is structured in a way that his guarantees are tied to games played and hitting certain weight checkpoints at various points during the season.

If Williamson, who has already sat out 27 games this season due to a hamstring injury, misses 15 more games, only 20 percent of his $39.4 million salary in 2025-26 will be guaranteed if he meets his weigh-in benchmark.

This also makes Williamson an attractive trade chip for most teams because of the way that they have started to operate amid the new apron restrictions.

MacMahon and Marks noted the Warriors have $40 million in expiring contracts on their books and up to three future first-round draft picks they could use in a trade.

Even though Williamson would be a huge risk because of his injury history, it might be worth it for a team like the Warriors to take if they are desperate enough given the upside he still has.

It was only eight months ago when Williamson was the best player on the court in a play-in tournament game between the Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. He had 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes before leaving in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.

As Zion Williamson moves closer to returning to game action, the New Orleans Pelicans forward is likely to satisfy the weight criteria in his contract that guarantees a portion of his salary.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks, Williams is "on track" to satisfy the weigh-in criteria that requires him to have a combined weight and body fat percentage below 295 to guarantee 20 percent of his salary for the 2025-26 season.

The remaining 80 percent of Williamson's salary becomes guaranteed based on the number of games he plays in the previous season. He gets 40 percent of his money guaranteed if he plays in 41 games, 20 percent if he plays in 51 games and 20 percent if he plays in 61 games.

Williamson has already missed 27 games this season, so he won't hit the 61-game benchmark. He can only miss four more games and still hit the 51-game threshold. The 24-year-old, who hasn't played since Nov. 6, is expected to return to practice at some point this week. There is no set timeline for him to play in games.

MacMahon and Marks noted that Williamson's contract requires he hit the weight benchmark at seven different dates during the season to earn his money. It's unclear exactly when those checkpoints occur, but his extended absence due to a hamstring injury doesn't appear to have impacted his ability to stay in good physical condition to pass a weigh-in.

Williamson originally signed a five-year, $197.2 million extension with the Pelicans in July 2022. The deal was structured to protect the club in the event he continued to struggle with injuries and/or didn't keep himself in peak physical condition.

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic noted in December 2023 that the final three years of Williamson's deal were no longer guaranteed because he was unable to satisfy the minimum games played required in the contract during the 2022-23 season.

There was no concern at the time that the Pelicans were going to move on from Williamson, but things have continued to spiral in the wrong direction for both parties. His scoring average and field-goal percentage has decreased in the two years since his last All-Star appearance in 2022-23.

The Pelicans' 5-28 record this season is the worst in the NBA. They have lost 18 of their last 19 games since Nov. 16.

Williamson's 2025-26 salary doesn't become fully guaranteed until July 15, so the Pelicans could wait until the offseason before making any decisions about his future.

As things currently stand, Williamson's salary for next season could go from $39.4 million if he met all of his games played and weigh-in benchmarks down to as little as $7.9 million guaranteed.