The New Orleans Pelicans will not consider releasing Zion Williamson before the July 15th deadline when his contract for 25-26 becomes guaranteed. While Williamson is on track to reach the weight benchmarks in his contract, he will not play in at least 61 games to automatically guarantee his contract.
Williamson has one of the most unique contracts that protects the Pelicans against him being unavailable.
The Pelicans do not believe eliminating Williamson’s contract and reducing payroll would be a realistic path to improving the roster. If the Pelicans and Williamson decide to part ways, they could instead trade him to convert his salary slot into a quality player or two, or perhaps draft capital.
