The Pelicans can cut Zion Williamson (and his max contract) after next season. Here's why.

Remember last season when there were conversations about weight and body fat clauses included in Zion Williamson’s contract?

Reporting from Nola.com’s Christian Clark said the Pelicans required Williamson to hit certain benchmarks with his weight. If he couldn’t, he risked missing out on various incentives in the deal and could potentially lose money.

The Pelicans pushed back against it after Williamson’s reaction to this information hit the public sphere. It wasn’t a good look.

But, as it turns out, it was true. There is reportedly a weight and body fat clause in Williamson’s contract as well as certain health benchmarks that he needed to hit to fully guarantee his salary.

And, apparently, as things stand right now, according to reporting from The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, the final three seasons of Williamson’s contract are no longer guaranteed because of it.

As things stand, the Pelicans could cut Williamson after next season with no repercussions.

Let’s talk about how we got here.