Pelicans' Dumars, Zion Williamson Have 'Incredible Conversations' amid Contract Rumors

The new executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, Joe Dumars, and Zion Williamson—the talented but oft-injured face of the franchise—have been taking some time to get to know each other this offseason.

So far, so good.

"The first thing I would say about Zion is he's an incredibly good guy," Dumars told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. "He's a really good person. He's obviously immensely talented. He and I have had some incredible conversations. We are in constant contact with each other. I've talked to him about the responsibility of being great and the responsibility of being a leader, of being a captain, of being the best player, of being the face of a franchise. I've talked to him about how all of those things come with responsibility and how it's time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities."

Those comments come amidst reports that the Pelicans "plan to fully guarantee" Williamson's $39.4 million salary for the 2025-26 season, according to William Guillory of The Athletic.

The Pelicans are banking a lot on Williamson staying healthy and playing at a superstar level in the upcoming campaign. The team traded its first-round pick in 2026 to the Atlanta Hawks this offseason, and if they struggle, it might be a very valuable pick they surrendered. If they make the playoffs, however, the move will look far less detrimental.

Those efforts will begin and end with Williamson, and Dumars knows it.