Zion Williamson just signed a contract worth millions, but it comes with some limitations.
According to Yahoo!Sports, Williamson signed a five-year $193 million deal to extend his time with the New Orleans Pelicans that could draw in close to $231 million over the next few years. The new lucrative contract does, however, come with one condition — the 22-year-old must maintain a certain weight throughout the course of the agreement.
Per the contract, Williamson has to weigh in at less than 295 pounds for the length of the deal. His body fat percentage will also be monitored because — if he does not meet the stipulations — the money in his contract has grounds to be reduced.
Zion Williamson's NBA Career
Since drafting Williamson in June 2019, the Pelicans have been transparent that his weight has played a role in the NBA player’s performance. Last September, he reported to training camp at “well above” 300 pounds.
It’s also important to note that Williamson has had significant lower body injuries. Upon entering the NBA roughly three years ago, the power forward has missed 44 games and all of them were during his rookie season.
He has only played 85 games over the last few years as a result of tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee and completely missed his sophomore season because of a broken metatarsal in his right foot.
By Any Means Necessary
At this time, it looks like Williamson is determined to adhere to the weight stipulations of the contract.
Per reports, he is currently working with both a personal trainer and a private chef to ensure he’s meeting those nutritional and performance expectations.
In addition to managing his weight, the Pelicans are prepared to ball out on Williamson should he fulfill some career-defining milestones like making the All-NBA Team and winning the NBA Most Valuable Player or the Defensive Player of the Year awards in the next season.
