According to NBA reporter Anthony Puccio, Zion is eligible for a five-year, $181 million early renewal contract this summer. He is currently on a four-year, $44.27 million rookie contract that expires in the summer of 2023 with team options for the 2022-23 season. If the Pelicans don't renew his contract this summer, Zion will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Will the Pelicans give Fat Tiger such a big contract? It's hard at the moment! Zion hasn't played a single game this season. In the 2019-20 season, Zion played in 24 games, averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 boards and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 58% from the field. In the 2020-21 season, Zion played in 61 regular season games, averaging 27 points, 7.2 boards and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 61% from the field.
Also, Auden played 82 games in the first three seasons of his career and 85 games in the first three seasons of his Fat Tiger career. The Pelicans don't want to give Zion a big contract, and not just because of injuries. ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst reported: Zion left the team in early January to deal with injuries, and he is now estranged from the Pelicans.
Brian Windhorst isn't out of thin air, and the Pelicans recently sent an email to the 2022-23 season ticket holders. It is worth mentioning that the email mentions three Pelicans stars: Ingram, Valanciunas and McCollum, but does not have Zion's name. Fat Tiger is the traffic bearer, the operation of the Pelican is worth pondering...
Pelicans reporter Christian Clark reports that Zion left the team because he didn't trust David Griffin, vice president of basketball operations, and didn't have confidence in the Pelicans' medical team. Teammate Willie Hernangomez updated social media in support of Zion, who also retweeted the image. With the exception of Hernan Gomez, the other Pelicans did not take a stand.
Think of the 2019 NBA Draft, when the Pelicans selected Zion, the cheers from the whole team were in stark contrast to the current indifference. In fact, you can't blame the Pelicans, zion in addition to the continuous injuries, did not show the determination to stay in the team. Former NBA star Barnes said: "Zion will not stay here, it will be difficult for the small ball city to keep the stars. ”
Judging from the news released so far, Zion has basically been reimbursed this season. Unable to play, Fat Tiger's relationship with his teammates was not handled well, and on February 8 this year, McCollum was sent to the Pelicans by the Blazers, but Fat Tiger has not contacted him. On All-Star Weekend (Feb. 19-21), a reporter asked CJ if he had communicated with Zion, to which CJ replied no.
It wasn't until Feb. 23 that McCollum told the media that he had spoken to Zion. One former Pelican player was unhappy with Zion's move: "Zion was too cold to CJ and other teammates. When a top 50 star in the league joins your team and will partner with you next season, Zion should take the initiative to say to him, 'Hello, welcome!' ’”
In October 2021, the Pelicans officially announced that Zion had fractured the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot due to excessive training. He was expected to start training in December, but it was delayed again and again, and he has not been able to train normally until now. More media broke the news that Zion weighed more than 330 pounds (150 kilograms) at one point during his recovery.
There was also a recent report that made Pelicans fans very distressed, and journalist Christian Clark revealed that in the 2019 draft, the Pelicans held the No. 1 and No. 4 picks. They wanted to trade the No. 4 pick and other chips for the No. 2 pick with the Grizzlies, and the Pelicans prepared to form a Zion + Morante Nova duo, but the Grizzlies decisively refused.
Morant has averaged 27+6+7 per game this season, and Zion is not only recuperating from injuries, but also getting into a stalemate with the team, not knowing how the Pelicans feel. Don't be surprised if the Pelicans trade Zion this summer.