Zion Williamson has reportedly been more fixated on moving to the East Coast than people realize.
Earlier this week, the New Orleans Pelicans star parted ways with CAA, the agency that has represented him since before he got drafted in 2019. According to ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen, there were two key factors in Williamson’s decision to split from his representation.
The first was reportedly due to Williamson’s desire to play for the New York Knicks. Per the report, Williamson had indicated his preference to CAA about ending up with the Knicks even before the Pelicans won the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Williamson was said to have “expected more from his representation in regards to pursuing a trade to New York.”
With the Knicks already emptying its war chest of assets to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason, it’s hard to imagine a pathway for Williamson to end up on the team anytime soon.
Williamson’s other source of frustration with CAA was reportedly about the five-year, $197 million contract extension he signed in January 2022. The deal has several clauses hinged on Williamson staying healthy, both in terms of his weight and overall games played.
Last season, Williamson enjoyed his healthiest year yet. He played in a career-high 70 games, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per contest. But he suffered a hamstring injury during the Play-In Tournament that kept him out of the Pelicans’ first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite photos of a skinny-looking Williamson going viral in the offseason, he has still battled injury woes to start the 2024-25 campaign. The Duke alum has played in just six games thus far in the second year of his nearly $200 million extension.
