According to sources, NBA star Zion Williamson, who spent a year at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is unsure about his future with the New Orleans Pelicans. His family feels the organization has not accommodated them or Zion to the best of their ability and they would like to see him with a different team.
Wednesday’s firing of the Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy was one of the compromises that the management was willing to make to keep Williamson and his family happy. One of the complaints about Van Gundy was the fact that he was “too rigid and demanding”. The organization has made a number of changes during the off season, including reworking the support staff. The family still remains critical of the Pelicans.
Another issue that the Williamson family has is about the organization itself, which they feel does not treat Zion to the standards of a NBA star. The family has felt this way for some time, but those close to Zion state that he is still committed to helping the Pelicans win next season and is focused on basketball.
The Pelicans have not made the playoffs in Williamson’s tenure. His family would like to see him in a place where he can showcase his talent and have a chance to win titles. Zion’s statement at the end of the year press conference seem to validate his families concerns.
“It’s disappointing. I’d be lying to you if I said anything else,” he said. “It’s very disappointing. But the best thing we can do is regroup, come together as a team, come together as coaches this offseason, talk and do what we need to do to be better next year. It’s not much to it, we just gotta be better.”
Even if Zion wants to go to another team, it won’t be easy to part ways with the Pelicans. He will be under organizational control for the next three years and will probably be offered a rookie extension next year. If he turns that down and opts for restricted free agency, the Pelicans can still match whatever another team offers.
Williamson became more upset when the franchise traded former Pelican teammate J.J. Redick to the Dallas Mavericks in March. Because of family matters, Redick had asked to be let go before the season started or to remain with the team until the season concluded. Zion had built a friendship with Redick, who had nothing good to say about the organization upon his departure. Redick’s comments could have had an influence on Zion’s thoughts about the team.
