Zion Williamson Will Rehab Away From Team After Setback With Foot Injury

The Pelicans announced star forward Zion Williamson will rehab his foot injury away from the team on Tuesday. Williamson will be continuing his right foot rehabilitation in Portland, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He will still be under the supervision of the team, per the release. 

“Since we notified everyone on December 16 of his latest imaging, it was decided then by our medical team to dial his rehab back to only partial weight bearing activities,” David Griffin, Pelicans executive vice president, said in the release. “He continues along that path.”

The team announced the setback in December after an MRI revealed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal. He was cleared on Nov. 26 for full basketball activities after making strides in his recovery from foot surgery but has yet to make his season debut. He injured his foot during a summer workout.

“As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult process for me,” Williamson said in the release. “I know there's work to be done in my recovery before I can safely return to the court, but I will continue to put in the time necessary so I can get back on the floor with my team and represent Pelicans fans and the city of New Orleans at the highest level.”

The 21-year-old has dealt with several injuries already in his career that have sidelined him for significant time, but when on the court he has been a star. He averaged 27 points per game last year but has only appeared in 85 games since being drafted with the first pick in the 2019 draft.