Zion Williamson is at risk of losing guaranteed money due to a weight clause in his new contract with the Pelicans. The exact dollar amount is unknown. The second-year player is required to meet a specific weight and body-fat percentage. At last year’s training camp, Williamson weighed over 300 lbs.
Per Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the NBA forward is at risk of having his guaranteed money reduced. Williamson must weigh less than 295 lbs. in order to receive all of his guaranteed earnings. According to Basketball-Reference, the 6’6″ forward weighs 284 lbs. Though, this weight measurement is likely outdated.
Zion Williamson seeks weight loss during training camp
Earlier this month, the All-Star signed a five-year, $193 million contract extension with the Pelicans. He will hit the super-max bonus next season if he wins MVP or receives an All-NBA honor. So, his contract is actually worth as much as $231 million.
However, trainers are reporting that Williamson still needs to lose at least 15 lbs. The forward has always been a big guy, dating back to his freshman season at Duke. But that’s not a bad thing. Some of the greatest NBA players ever were huge.
Additionally, Williamson has only appeared in 85 career games in the NBA due to injuries. Thus far, while shooting 60.4% from the field, the forward has averaged 25.7 points, 7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
He missed all of last season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot. And the forward is only 22 years old. Not only does Williamson need to lose weight to earn all of his guaranteed money, but he also needs to stay healthy to receive an All-NBA honor.
Other stocky players throughout NBA history
In 2021, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal revealed his listed weight by season when he won championships with the Lakers in the early 2000s. In 2000, O’Neal weighed 345 lbs. Compared to Shaq, Wiliamson is not that heavy.
Then, in the following season, he weighed 365 lbs. As for the 2002-03 season, the center played at 395 lbs. It should go without saying that close to 400 lbs. was Shaq’s heaviest in the NBA. Some fans reading this might even be a bit skeptical. Make no mistake, it’s accurate.
Oliver Miller was another huge center. He weighed as much as 380 lbs. at 6’9″ on the court. Miller was selected 22nd overall by the Suns in the 1992 NBA Draft. The center averaged 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in his eight-year career.
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