NBA Rumors: Zion Williamson Not Close to Return for Pelicans amid Hamstring Injury

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is "not close to a return to action" as he deals with a hamstring injury, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Williamson has already missed the Pelicans' past seven games after suffering the injury in a Nov. 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and "will be out for an extended period of time longer," per Charania.

New Orleans owns a record of just 1-6 since the two-time All-Star forward was sidelined.

Williamson missed two games prior to the defeat against Cleveland due to hamstring tightness.

It's a worrying sign that his return date is still reportedly unclear, as the Pelicans announced that he was out "indefinitely" after he initially suffered the strain.

Williamson was optimistic about his recovery process when speaking to reporters on Friday, explaining that he's still following guidelines as he looks to return.

"Rehab is going great," Williamson said, per Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. "On track. That's all I can do right now."

Since the Pelicans selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, the 24-year-old's tenure with the organization has been defined by stellar play as well as a lack of availability.

He appeared in a career-high 70 games last season, but he suited up in just 114 total contests in four years prior. Williamson also missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a fracture in his right foot.

The former Duke standout was off to another strong start prior to the hamstring issue this season, averaging 22.7 points and 8.0 rebounds to go along with 5.3 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.

Williamson isn't New Orleans' only starter to miss time to open the squad's 2024-25 campaign. Point guard Dejounte Murray suffered a fractured hand in the team's season-opener and shooting guard CJ McCollum has been out for 12 straight games with a right adductor strain.

As the shorthanded Pelicans attempt to bounce back from a 4-12 record, Williamson is still out for the foreseeable future.