NBA Rumors: Latest on Zion Williamson's Knee Injury, DeMar DeRozan New Contract
There's no getting around it. The loss of Zion Williamson to injury before opening night of the 2019-20 NBA season was the kind of deflating news no basketball fan wanted to hear.
The 19-year-old is box office and was set to make the most anticipated rookie debut since LeBron James.
But now that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft will be out for six to eight weeks recovering from arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn lateral meniscus in his right knee, the New Orleans Pelicans are forced to deal with chatter surrounding their new franchise cornerstone's unfortunate setback.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Pelicans remain adamant Williamson's injury was not a result of him being out of shape, nor was it caused by his frame or his weight.
They also don't believe the injury will be an issue moving forward.
"The notion that this happened because Zion is in poor condition is asinine," general manager David Griffin told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "He wasn't in poor condition when he went 12 of 13 last week against Utah. That's not what it is. He's just a very unique body type and certainly from a physics perspective."
Charania's sources further revealed Williamson and New Orleans can't pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred, but after the explosive phenom admitted to the training staff he had some tightness in his right knee, a precautionary MRI revealed the tear.
The timeline of events suggest he may have sustained the problem either during the 123-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 13 or the practice that following Tuesday.
"He didn't have any swelling," Griffin told Wojnarowski. "As far as when it happened, nobody really knows because he didn't have any symptoms. It's a fascinating thing."
The physics of Williamson's freakish stature and athleticism are also fascinating.
The 6'6", 284-pound Duke standout is the third-heaviest player in the league, behind Tacko Fall (7'5", 311 pounds) and Boban Marjanovic (7'4", 290 pounds), so there's a level of concern about his playing weight affecting his long-term health.
Williamson plays with so much force and attacks the rim with so much reckless abandon, that sustaining his health for over the course of an 82-game season with his level of explosion will be a challenge.
There's also the prevailing notion that the player Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich called a "great combination of speed and strength" is just too big.
"He can be 274 pounds with 8.5 percent body fat and he can be 280 pounds with nine percent body fat," Griffin told Wojnarowski. "As we have gone through the process for our medical team, learning how to keep him lean and give him the core strength and stability and control he needs to handle all that torque he generates, typically that means you are going to do things to strengthen those areas.
"In this case, he gains muscle mass so fast and gains weight so fast, no one has ever dealt with anybody like him. He's 19 and it's going to be a learning experience for all of us."
The bright side, if there is one, is that this early adversity will give Williamson a chance to watch the game from the bench, instead of being thrown into the fire right away.
Additionally, he'll have time to get advice from trainers and nutritionists to determine if he should tweak his body composition or not.
If he can come back fully healthy and regain the form that allowed him to make the kind of immediate impact he made during the preseason when he averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, this hardship will be just a footnote in an otherwise impressive career.
DeMar DeRozan Close to Extension with Spurs?
There's two sides to every blockbuster NBA trade.
Lost in all of the hoopla of the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors is DeMar DeRozan, who has all but been forgotten since landing with the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard moved on and got his three-year $103 million max deal with the L.A. Clippers, and even Kyle Lowry got a one-year, $31 million extension in Toronto.
Now it's time for DeRozan to get his just due.
The four-time All Star has been in talks with the Spurs about a possible extension, but according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, both sides "remain quite a ways apart."
Next season, DeRozan has a player option for $27.7 million, which means he can opt out to test the market if a deal isn't reached.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported earlier this month that the 10-year veteran is seeking a four-year, $150 million extension, but he's focused on the start of the regular season for now.
"That’s not on my mind," DeRozan told Charania. "My focus is to go out there and hoop. How everything will unfold, that’s how it will unfold."
While DeRozan wants four years, the Spurs prefer the flexibility that a two-year deal would provide them moving forward.
There's no rush for the 30-year old shooting guard because if he opts in, he'll likely be the most coveted free agent in the 2021 class and get a longer-term deal.
Last season, DeRozan had to readjust to San Antonio's system, but still managed to average 21.2 points per game and posted career-highs in rebounds (6.0) and assists (6.2).
Charania's sources revealed DeRozan's workouts this summer were impressive and his shooting has improved.
The Spurs value his scoring and ability to create his own shot and believe his second year under Popovich could be strong enough to make him the team's anchor moving forward.
Maurice Bobb covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow Maurice on Twitter, @ReeseReport.
