Report: Zion Williamson Fires Agent Because Of… The Knicks?

In a strange set of circumstances, New Orleans Pelicans oft-injured star Zion Williamson has fired his agency, CAA, in part because they did not arrange for a trade to the New York Knicks.

Sources told ClutchPoints that Zion's desire to play in New York date back to before before the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery when the Pelicans made him the No. 1 overall pick, and his agency was well aware.

After beginning his career in New Orleans, Williamson expected more from his representation in regards to pursuing a trade to New York. This was one of the two driving factors that resulted in the split, source said.

The other major factor was the five-year, $197 million extension he eventually signed with New Orleans in January 2022, specifically the apparent lack of understanding that Williamson had about clauses in the contract that included a lot of protection for the Pelicans due to Zion's extensive injury history. Among other things, weight-related benchmarks made certain aspects of the deal non-guaranteed.

Currently, his contract becomes fully guaranteed for the 2024-25 season if the Pelicans don’t waive him on or before Jan. 7th. And if he's still on their roster after July 15, it's fully guaranteed for next season as well.

Zion is not surprisingly currently out of the lineup with another long-term hamstring injury. He has missed a vast majority of the Pelicans' games over the last six seasons since coming into the league.