Zion Williamson recently just finished up his second season with the New Orleans Pelicans.
He has barely played over a full season of games in two seasons in the league so far.
However, he has been a destructive force and even made the All-Star team this season.
Williamson is the potential superstar we all hoped for when he was coming out of Duke University.
The Pelicans hit the lottery and should have him for the foreseeable future.
Well, that is the current issue.
Reports have surfaced that Williamson’s family wants him out of New Orleans already.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been unable to put together the right elements to make Zion Williamson and his family happy, per @TheAthleticNBA
"Multiple sources have told The Athletic that certain family members want Williamson on another team." 😳 pic.twitter.com/6kfWYLqX4V
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) June 17, 2021
Williamson has quickly developed some questioning towards the organization’s front office.
The state of Louisiana is not truly worried about the Pelicans.
They are not on anyone’s radar.
Even the sports teams of LSU are more important the Pelicans.
Williamson is on his rookie deal and will assumably sign the max extension once he is allowed.
Maybe he becomes the first star to turn it down and take the chance with a qualifying offer.
We do not know as it too early to tell, but it is intriguing.
Let’s discuss why he wouldn’t sign it and why he would.
Why He Will Sign The Extension
The money that he can make by the time his rookie deal is up will be astronomical.
Williamson might want to leave now, but who knows in the future.
It has been two seasons.
You have to give them a chance before drawing up an exit plan.
No other star players on rookie deals have decided to forgo the extension and bet on themselves.
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are currently clashing, but Doncic has already said that he is signing that extension.
To bet on yourself is dangerous because anything can happen.
Injuries are a part of the game.
Several players have gotten hurt before big contracts.
DeMarcus Cousins was in line for one until he tore his Achilles with the Pelicans.
The biggest example is Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics.
The little guy was one more year away from getting a huge contract.
A contract nobody saw coming until he became one of the top players in the league for a few seasons.
However, he had a serious hip injury and now he is out of the league.
Things happen fast and Williamson already has an injury history.
It is not time to try and be the brave one.
He can possibly miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars.
Why He Shouldn’t Sign The Extension
The Pelicans have been a quietly incompetent franchise for a little while now.
From Chris Paul to Anthony Davis, they have a tendency to mismanage a team with a superstar on it.
This is just the latest example.
Williamson’s time with the Pelicans has been met with dysfunction from the moment he was drafted.
Bad trades and bad coaching hires have derailed his start in the league.
Zion Williamson is on his way to having his third coach in his third NBA season.
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) June 16, 2021
He can take the chance and get a big contract elsewhere.
His prime won’t be wasted as he can take control of his career earlier than most.
Yes, for one season he will be on the qualifying offer.
However, he will be making tons of money from his Jordan brand deal.
Williamson will be fine without that extension for one season.
He will easily make up that money and not have to deal with an unserious franchise.
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