The Pelicans lost 2-4 to the Suns to say goodbye to the playoff journey, ingram + CJ McCollum combination is very tacit, to win the Suns two games is indeed very good, but the Pelicans want to become one of the teams that rush to the championship, may need a lot of changes, including whether to keep the 19th champion Zion, which is a very question worth discussing, because salary expert Yossi Gozlan said Zion could renew a five-year, $223 million (actually$222.9 million) contract with the Pelicans this summer, and even if Zion doesn't trigger the Ross clause, the top-salary contract would be 100 percent to five years and $185.7 million. The pelicans' operational possibilities do not rule out the early renewal of Zion, otherwise the Pelicans and Zion will be estranged, because Zion is a player with very commercial value, and Zion has always wanted to play in the big city, don't forget the moment when he was selected by the Pelicans as the champion, Zion's face was iron blue, and he didn't look so excited.
Surely Zion is worth the super top salary of 223 million for 5 years? When you see this news, many people may think that the Pelicans are crazy? The problem is Zion himself, who has only played 85 games in his career so far, and the rest of the time has been injury + recovery, and it is really difficult to believe that he can be worthy of the 223 million salary extension.
Although Zion has only played 85 games, Zion's statistics are staggering, the rookie season has played 24 games, averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, full of talent, like James when he was very young.
The sophomore season played 61 games, averaged 33.2 minutes per game, averaged 17 shots per game, and slashed 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, which is a 61% shooting rate of Zion, which is the hegemon of the restricted area offense. Also this season, Zion became the first 19th draft to be named an All-Star, as strong as Morant, who has brought the Grizzlies to the playoffs, feels envious and jealous.
In fact, if Zion can play more games, according to Zion's personal data, renewing a super salary this summer, there should be no big controversy, the heart is that Zion played too few games, and 1 All-Star trip, more or Zion itself has too much popularity, this is the talent, even if it is a contract extension, Zion makes Morant feel that heaven is not fair to himself, because Morant's super salary is spelled out by himself.
Morant averaged 30.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in the first round of the playoffs this year, and Morant averaged 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.5 steals in the first round of the playoffs this year. This is Morant's performance, not only good data, but also leadership temperament, he can get a super top salary renewal, but Zion, who has only played 85 games, Zion, who has not even played in the playoffs, can get the same treatment as Morant? Yes, if the Pelicans do, then the Pelicans are a big gamble!
Zion himself in an interview, talking about the extension of the pelican, Zion joked that he did not sign fast enough, it can be seen that Zion is also very confident in his contract extension, does the Pelican dare to hit Zion's confidence? This summer can not get a satisfactory early renewal, Zion's probability of leaving is also very high, the Pelicans may not be willing to accept such a loss, but the super top salary, the Pelicans are willing to open for Zion? The test of 85 games is a complete gamble, the only advantage is Zion's injury, not ankle, knee and other key parts of the injury, for the Pelicans to gamble once is not impossible.