Zion 'locks in' with Pelicans

Zion Williamson put pen to paper on Wednesday, signed his name, looked up and said "I'm locked in, baby."

That's the phrase the New Orleans Pelicans have been waiting to hear. Williamson firmed up his commitment to the team on his 22nd birthday by signing a five-year deal that could be worth up to $231 million.

Asked where this ranks among birthdays, Williamson said: "Number one."

The deal is worth at least $193 million with escalators for winning MVP honors, being named Defensive Player of Year or making an All-NBA team.

There are no player options in the contract so Williamson will be part of the Pelicans for five seasons, barring a trade.

Williamson missed all of last season due to a broken right foot and has played in just 85 games over his first three seasons. He said he is eager to return to the floor healthy.

"Thank y'all for believing in me," Williamson said. "Just giving a kid like me a chance to showcase my abilities and hopefully help bring the team multiple championships. Thank y'all for sticking with me the past year.

"On my birthday last year, I found out I broke my foot. I was out the whole year. It was a tough year. For the Pelicans to come give me this birthday gift, I'm not going to let them down. I'm not going to let my family down. I'm not going to let the city down. And most importantly, I'm not going to let myself down."

The No 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft from Duke has been productive when healthy. He has averaged 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 60.4 percent from the field.

Williamson was an All-Star in the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 61 contests.

On June 11, Williamson expressed to reporters that he wanted to remain with the club.

Less than a month later, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson was happy to lock up the young star.

"We are building a foundation of sustained success. We have a wonderful mix of young talent and veteran leadership and adding Zion long-term to this roster is something that I know our fans are very excited to see come together on the floor this season and for many seasons to come," Benson said in a statement. "Zion's talents are not only transformative on the court, but his commitment to our community, our city and region will also be transformative. What a wonderful birthday for him and his family."

Agencies Via Xinhua