New Zion Williamson Rumor Raises Questions About Pelicans' Vision for the Future

The New Orleans Pelicans will have a ton of questions to answer in the offseason once their season is over on Sunday. Not only do they have to find a new head coach, but they also have to build a roster that makes more sense. The biggest domino to fall will be Zion Williamson. The star power forward has yet to appear in a playoff game in his seven-year career, and many had assumed that his Pelicans tenure would come to an end this offseason. It turns out that the front office may have other plans.

There has been a ton of buzz in recent days that the Pelicans may want to sign Williamson to an extension instead. The latest rumor by Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson suggests that the Pelicans are interested in offering Williamson a two-to-three-year extension worth $30-35 million per season.

Pelicans are prepared to offer Zion Williamson an extension this summer that could pay him between $30 - $35 Million per year, I'm told.

Derik Queen and DeAndre Jordan tell me that they'll be training this summer in LA.

🔗Story Here - https://t.co/pAuGelA4fp https://t.co/AEsSDnzLMp pic.twitter.com/qbqMabKcOX
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) April 9, 2026

Extending Zion Williamson Would Be a Mistake for the Pelicans

It's important to note that these are still rumors and the Pelicans front office has yet to discuss their offseason plans, whether it's about the roster or the coaching staff. In fact, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver have been silent all season, never making a media appearance to reveal their vision for the franchise.

That makes it difficult to know what the plans are regarding Williamson. Knowing this front office, however, this would hardly be surprising. New Orleans has consistently chosen to hold onto its key players for too long rather than choosing the rebuilding route. Extending Williamson would fit in with the "chase the Play-In mentality" of the franchise.

Signing Williamson to another multi-year deal would be a mistake. That isn't to say that Williamson wouldn't be worth $30 million per season in a couple of years. It's more about the fact that the Pelicans shouldn't be the team to sign him to that new contract. Both sides need a fresh start and would be better off without each other.

It was established throughout the season that Williamson and Derik Queen are poor fits who can't play next to each other. The Pelicans haven't had enough shooting or rim protection around Williamson in years to fully optimize him. That continues to be the case. The Pelicans want to give the ball to Queen and Jeremiah Fears going forward. When Williamson has to play off the ball, he is far less effective.

Plus, the Pelicans should be in no rush to extend Williamson. The 25-year-old power forward has two more years on his deal. Signing him to an extension when he just had his healthiest season in years could age poorly. It could hurt the Pelicans' financial flexibility and lower Williamson's trade value. It could benefit both sides to wait things out and see what trade opportunities will be there in the offseason and next year's trade deadline.