The New Orleans Pelicans gained a foothold. You read that right. Yes, it may seem strange to say that a team with a record under 0.500 lost in the first round and is dealing with an uncertain future for Zion Williamson. But the Pelicans are built for long-term success. Even if Williamson is not in good health next year, New Orleans should at least be a playoff finalist again. The Pelicans also have the resources to improve the team through the draft and will have a full season with the players he needs from the Portland Trail Blazers before the trade deadline. If Williamson is healthy, the roster advantage is a team that should compete for the top six in the West. So, when Williamson, who missed the entire 2021-22 season, qualifies for a contract extension, how should they move forward this summer?
List status
Built for sustainable success, after years of playing the musical chair with the head coach, David Griffin, president of basketball operations, finally got along with Willie Green. If you want to confirm why the statement is accurate, please return to his original press conference after he was appointed head coach. When I think of coaching, the best coaches aren't X and O. People can do that. The best coaches are the ones you know care about you, Green said. Connecting with a player is no different than just connecting with people. You will soon realize that you have a lot more in common than you don't have. Considering that when the Pelicans started 3-16, Green played a key role in maintaining the team's roster, the above statement is correct. Instead of seeing the season continue to spiral upwards, the Pelicans have played 0.500 games of basketball since then and put themselves in a position to compete for a playoff spot. We just keep in touch, and Willie sends a positive message every day, Ingram said after the Pelicans beat the Lakers in late March. As for the roster, there are several positives that can be established. New Orleans returned 14 players under contract (Tony Snell was the only free agent), though that should be a warning sign, especially for teams under 0.500, the Pelicans could compete with any team in the West if healthy (yes, that's a big assumption). Ingram is only 24 years old and has a chance to see his name in the best team in the future. The only thing that would allow him to return to the team was health. In the 27 games the forward has missed this season, the Pelicans are 7-20. When he attended, they exceeded 0.500. McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas traded to two veterans in New Orleans and helped cement one of the league's younger squads. Both deals are proof that New Orleans is willing to trade first-round picks for winning players. Second-round rookie Herbert Jones could become the first rookie to be named to the All-Defensive Team since Tim Duncan was in 1998. The league has no side-line defenders, and the Pelicans, with a salary of $1.8 million next year, are among the best players. In addition to signing players, New Orleans has draft assets to improve the roster. The Pelicans have the los Angeles Lakers' first-round unless it falls to 11th place. The current 8th-place draft pick has a 26.3% chance of making it through the top 4. The Pelicans' first-round draft picks were credited to the Hornets. The Pelicans also owe three unprotected firsts (from the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks) and hold the right to swap first places with the Bucks in 2024 and 2026. This season proved new Orleans were enough to compete for a spot without Williamson. However, for the Pelicans to take the next step in an improved Western Conference (Denver and the Clippers went all out in the 2022-23 season), Williamson will have to be on the court next year instead of wearing civilian clothes.
Zion Williamson
Williamson, the first pick in the 2019 draft, could sign a five-year, $181 million rookie contract extension this summer. However, giving Williamson the full value given without any accidental injury would be reckless. Admittedly, Williamson was an All-Star, All-NBA and Top 20 player on the court. According to ESPN statistics and information:
- In the 2020-21 season, he became the first player in NBA history to average 27 points per game with 60 percent of the shots in a single season.
- He averaged 25.7 points and 60.4 percent from the field in his first two seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average 25 points and 60 percent from the field in any two seasons.
- In the 2020-21 season, Williamson scored 20 points in 25 consecutive games with 50% shooting, tied with Shaquille O'Neal for the longest winning streak in the scoring time era (since 1954-55).
- He averaged 20.3 points per game in 2020-21, the highest single-season scoring since O'Neal won the MVP in 1999-00.
- He averaged 18 points per game in the penalty area, the highest-scoring player of any player in a single season in the last 25 years.
- In 2021, he will have five games to play at least 30 percent from the field, the most in a single season since 1989-90 was Charles Barkley.
But here's the thing: In his first three seasons in the NBA, Williamson played a total of 85 games. He missed 48 games in his rookie season, compared to 82 last season. According to ESPN statistics and information, Williamson is the first player with fewer than 100 appearances in the three seasons since the modern era (from 1966) was drafted. David Robinson fulfilled his duties at naval academy two years before college, while Greg Oden dealt with multiple injuries. Both Robinson and Oden have played 82 games in three years. Williamson's history of injuries is well documented. The October 2019 injury eventually led to surgery to repair the torn right meniscus. Although the Pelicans' initial recovery time was 6 to 8 weeks, Williamson didn't return to play until Jan. 22, a few days after surgery, 12 weeks later. When he was allowed to play, New Orleans placed playing time limits on him and gradually increased his workload for the rest of the season. Williamson played at least 30 minutes in eight consecutive games before the COVID-19 pandemic put the season on hold. After playing five games in the Orlando bubble, his season ended with a right knee injury. His second season ended early again last May with a fractured left finger. And then it's the season. Williamson fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and underwent surgery in the summer. The injury was not revealed to the public until media day in late September, when the Pelicans' head of basketball operations said Williamson would likely play at the start of the regular season. He fractured his right foot, surgically repaired, Griffin said. His timeline should allow him to get back on the court in time for the regular season. That will be our hope and our point of view. We look very optimistic about this. Williamson would eventually miss the entire season of rehabilitation, suffering a setback in early December with sore feet and needing multiple injections to stimulate healing. The Pelicans are now heading into the offseason with the biggest decision in team history: extend Williamson or play his final season until he becomes a restricted free agent. The answer to this question is complex.
Full maximum
In a world of rapid information, news of his contract extension will begin leaking by July 1, with Williamson and the Pelicans agreeing to a five-year, $181 million rookie cap extension.
- 2022-23 | $31.2 million
- 2023-24 | $33.8 million
- 2024-25 | $36.3 million
- 2025-26 | $38.8 million
- 2026-27 | $41.3 million
Similar to the recent contract extensions signed by Trae Young, Jason Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, the deal would add an additional $36 million if Williamson were named to the All-Team for the 2022-23 season. However, the Williamson era in New Orleans tells us that his next contract is complex and by no means perfect. Due to a recent foot injury, if his same foot is injured again, the $181 million extension will be uninsurable. Starting in the 2022-23 season, if he misses a game due to a foot injury, the Pelicans will bear the full amount remaining in his contract and will not recover the insurance reimbursement (up to $275,000 per game) starting with the 2022-23 season. That means if Williamson were named to the All-Team in 2022-23, the Pelicans would certainly sign a contract in the short term, and his $217.5 million contract, including last year's $50 million salary, would be uninsured. If Williamson hits another setback, the risk of extending the rookie across the board without a safety net could cripple the Pelicans' finances and time to build a roster. From Williamson's perspective, his representative from CAA will point to the Nuggets' Michael Porter signing a $176.9 million salary extension before the season begins. Porter missed his first season with a back injury, so there were no injury rules. The contract was secured at $147.5 million, and the remaining balance was protected by the team's success in the playoffs and Porter's personal accolades. However, Porter played only eight regular season games this season before injuring his back in late November. He underwent lumbar spine surgery for the second time in four years.
Maximum contracts are limited
Joel Embiid's five-year, $148 million rookie top salary extension signed in October 2017 is a blueprint that aims to reward players at team level while protecting themselves in the event of injury. Because Embiid missed the first two seasons with a right foot injury and only played 31 games in his third year (he missed another 37 games due to left knee surgery), the 76ers and his representative from CAA (coincidentally, Williamson had the same agent) worked out a full-blown contract that included several guaranteed triggers (games and playing time), but if Embiid injured his foot and back, the 76ers would be protected. If Embiid is injured in the early years of the contract, the 76ers will have a way to get out of any long-term financial obligations. Embiid hasn't been frustrated by one foot since the 2017 renewal and recently signed a four-year, $196 million super-top contract extension with no injury language. He is one of the MVP favorites this season. If the Pelicans go down a path that includes injury protection language, it might look like this: Starting in the 2022-23 season, if Williamson misses 25 or more regular season games with a right-foot injury in any one season, the guarantee amount for the next few seasons will be reduced to:
- 2023-24 | $31.3 million
- 2024-25 | $25.3 million
- 2025-26 | $17.6 million
- 2026-27 | $17.6 million
- 2027-28 | $0
At the very least, Williamson will still receive $91 million in coverage. Because he was considered a privileged player, he had to suffer disastrous injuries before the Pelicans gave him up. If Williamson plays 1650 minutes in three of the four seasons starting in 2022-23, the contract will also be fully guaranteed. So, for example, if Williamson meets the playing time standard after the 2025-26 season, the remaining two years will be fully guaranteed, even if Williamson is injured later.
Wait until the 2023 offseason
If no deal is reached by the Monday before the start of the regular season, Williamson will enter the 2022-23 season, with his contract expiring and he will become a restricted free agent in 2023. Because he doesn't meet the starting criteria in his contract (41 starts or 2,000 minutes in the 2021-22 season), he currently has a qualifying offer of $7.7 million. If he hits the bar next season, his qualifying offer will be $17.6 million — the highest in NBA history.
New Orleans Pelicans 2022-23 salary breakdown
| Players | Caps on fees |
| 1. CJ McCollum | USD 33,333,333 |
| 2. Brandon Ingram | USD 31,650,600 |
| 3. Jonas Valanciunas | USD 14,700,000 |
| 4. Zion Williamson | USD 13,534,817 |
| 5. Derwent Graham | USD 11,550,000 |
| 6. Larry Nance Jr | USD 9,672,727 |
| 7. Jaxon Hayes | USD 6,803,012 |
| 8. Garrett Temple | USD 5,155,500 |
| 9. Kira Lewis Jr | USD 4,004,280 |
| 10. Trey Murphy III | USD 3,206,640 |
| 11. Willie Hernangomez | USD 2,443,581 |
| 12. Herbert Jones | $1,785,000 |
| 13. Najib Marshall | USD 1,782,621 |
| 14. Jose Alvarado | USD 1,563,518 (Partially Guaranteed) |
| 15. Tony Snell 1 | $1,811,516 (free agent holdings) |
| 16. Gary Clark 2 | $1,616,044 (free agent holdings) |
| 17. Jared Harper 2 | $1,616,044 (free agent holdings) |
| 18. First Round (via LAL) | $5,434,920 (draft retained) |
| Guaranteed wages | $146.2 million* |
| Non-guaranteed | $437,000 |
| Free agents reserved | $5 million |
| Total salary cap | $146.8 million |
| 2022-23 NBA salary cap | $122 million |
| 2022-23 NBA Luxury Tax Line | $147 million |
| 1. Non-birds | |
| 2. Restrict non-birds | |
| *Note: Guaranteed salary includes first-round draft pick cap |
Given the Lakers' cap on first-round draft picks, the Pelicans returned 14 players under contract and $2.2 million less than the luxury tax. New Orleans will receive a full $10.3 million middle-class exception, but if more than $6.4 million is used, they will be hard-capped and put them above the $149 million tax threshold.
New Orleans Pelicans depth map
| PG | SG | PF | C | |
| Z. Williamson | C. McCollum | B. Ingram | H. Jones | J. Valanciunas |
| J. Alvarado PG | D. Graham | G. Temple | L. Nance Small | J. Hayes |
| K. Lewis | T. Murphy | W. Hernangomez | ||
| N. Marshall | ||||
| PG = Partially Guaranteed |
Team needs
- Healthy Zion Williamson
Resources for building rosters
- Continuity: 14 players return
- Draft assets: Three unprotected firsts (Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee) and priority swaps with lakers (2023) and Milwaukee (2024 and 2026).
- Exceptions: Tax Mid Tier ($6.4 million) and Trade ($6.4 million and $1.8 million)
- Cash: $6.32 million sent or received in a transaction
Viewing date
- June 29: By this date, New Orleans must provide qualified quotes to Jared Harper ($50,000) and Gary Clark ($50,000).
limit
- Brandon Ingram has a 15% trading bonus on his contract. If Ingram is traded, the prize money will be forfeited.
- Jonas Valanciunas trades with a bonus of $1 million or 15% of the remaining salary, whichever is lower. If Valanciunas is traded in the offseason, the prize money is $1 million.
- The Pelicans sent $2 million to Memphis in Steven Adams' deal and $3.7 million in two separate deals. Until July 1, they were limited to sending no more than $3.78 million and receiving no more than $2.1 million.
Eligible for extension
- If the Pelicans don't get veteran CJ McCollum by the trade deadline, where will they be? In New Orleans' 25 games, McCollum set career-high shooting (49.5 percent), rebounds (4.9), assists (6.2) and points (26.2). Starting Aug. 9, the Pelicans could extend for another three years on top of the two remaining years of his contract.
- Jaxon Hayes went from a part-time player to a starting power forward after Jonas Valanciunas in the first three months of the season (13.4, 11.9 and 13.6 minutes). Hayes started 27 games, averaging 27.1 minutes per game and 11.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. After Hayes entered the starting lineup, New Orleans ranked sixth in defensive efficiency. Despite production, New Orleans had to weigh the level of trust in Hayes in terms of the new contract. The former lottery rookie was arrested last July and charged with 12 misdemeanors, including causing bodily harm (domestic violence), damaging property, using force, resisting police, using force and using violence against LAPD members.
- Larry Nance Jr. was acquired from Portland ahead of the deadline. The striker has missed a total of 131 games since the 2015-16 season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in early February and returned at the end of March. Because he was acquired in the deal, Nance is eligible for another two years and $20.8 million. Starting Aug. 9, he can sign a four-year, $58.3 million renewal contract.
draft
As of now, New Orleans has three draft picks in the June draft, one of which comes from the Lakers' lotto signing. If Portland finishes in the top four, they will retain their first place. Here's how Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz gave New Orleans choices in June:
Number 8 (via LAL): AJ Griffin, SF/PF, Duke
With Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado, three rookies already making valuable contributions in the playoffs, the Pelicans added another floor interval to play alongside Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson, if healthy. Although he still has a long way to go on the defensive end, the 18-year-old Griffin is one of the best point scorers in the draft (45 percent from 3-point range) and his skill, strength (225 pounds) and height (7-0 arm span) have developed into a great defender while he improves his technique and awareness. The Pelicans have proven they clearly value versatility in the flanks and position, and Griffin is the best in this part of the draft. Ingram, McCollum and potentially Williamson, as major shooting creators, added another threat of no ball.
Number 47 (via CLE): Josh Minnott, PF, Memphis
No. 53 (from UTH): Gabriele Procida, SG, Fortitudo Bologna