Zion Williamson’s Newest Injury Reveals Ugly $71,000,000 Truth With Over Half of Career on Bench

After missing eight matches in early November due to a hamstring injury, Zion Williamson He suffered a new injury that will keep him out of action again. A former ESPN analyst shared the ugly truth about Williamson’s career, as he spends more time on the sidelines once again.

In a post on X, business analyst Darren Rovell crunched the numbers on how much the New Orleans Pelicans paid Williamson while he recovered from the injury. The former No. 1 pick has missed more games than he has played, meaning he earns more when he’s not on the field.

“Zion Williamson will be out for three more weeks. For those scoring at home, he will have now missed over 55% of games in his career. He will have been paid $129.9 million by the team, meaning the Pelicans paid him roughly $71.4 million while he was on the bench,” Rovell tweeted.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with an adductor muscle strain and will be out indefinitely. Williamson will be re-evaluated in three weeks, but there is no guarantee he will be cleared within that timeline.

Williamson has played in just 10 games this season, averaging 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists. However, New Orleans Pelicans He went 1-9 in those games, so he had little to no impact on the wins.

The powerful 25-year-old entered the season in the best shape of his career, but it seems his body is still letting him down. This is his second muscle injury this season. He missed eight games with a hamstring strain in early November.

Zion Williamson is no longer a max player, analyst says

It may be time for the New Orleans Pelicans to part ways with Zion Williamson and focus on their young stars like… Derek QuinnJeremiah’s fears and Trey Murphy III. CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn believes it’s time to part ways with Williamson and trade him this offseason.

Quinn added that Williamson’s time as a maximum player is over, and his new team will likely focus on his overall health. He suggested limiting his minutes to maintain his body while also allowing him to play more games, although that is not a guarantee that he will be healthy.

“He should be playing 20 minutes a game with a better, more stable team and on a significantly reduced salary. He is no longer a max player. As long as he stays with the Pelicans, he is burdened by those expectations,” Quinn wrote.

Another point Quinn made was that Williamson’s contract was designed to save his team money by placing conditions relating to his weight and the matches he played.