Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Cleared For On-Court Activities

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities with contact, the team announced Thursday.

Williamson has missed the last five games after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain on Nov. 4. The 25-year-old is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals this season.

In New Orleans’ 137-106 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 2, he led the Pelicans with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes of action.

Zion Williamson Has Played In Only 219 Games With Pelicans

Over six NBA seasons since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has appeared in 61 or more games just twice. He played in 30 games last season before the Pelicans shut him down last March due to a bone bruise in his back.

Williamson played 30 or fewer games in three seasons and missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign. He’s played in only 219 games since New Orleans drafted him.

Pelicans announce that Zion Williamson, who was diagnosed with a grade 1 left hamstring strain on November 4, continues to progress well through his rehabilitation and has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities with contact.

His return to play progression will be… pic.twitter.com/yJwpoXI1q3

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 13, 2025

Last season, Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 30 games while shooting 56.7% from the field and 65.6% from the foul line.

During the offseason, the Pelicans guaranteed Williamson’s $39.4 million salary for this season. His 2025-26 salary is part of the five-year, $197.23 million extension he signed with New Orleans in July 2022.

He’ll then make $42.16 million in 2026-27 and $44.9 million in 2027-28. Those salaries, however, are non-guaranteed unless Williamson meets the games played threshold for the upcoming seasons.

Williamson’s Trade Value At All-Time Low

Although New Orleans is rumored to trade Williamson at some point this season, opposing teams aren’t exactly lining up to negotiate any deals for the two-time All-Star forward.

Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, Williamson’s trade value across the league “isn’t super high” right now, as the former first-rounder remains sidelined with yet another injury.

“The intel that exists on Williamson within the league, fairly or not, is not great,” Windhorst wrote. “There have been numerous coaches, support staff, and teammates that have cycled through New Orleans over the past seven years, which includes all the injuries and a one-game suspension in January for being late to a team flight.”

One rival executive even told Windhorst that the ideal approach for the Pelicans would be trying to find a “win-now” deal because they need to get above .500.

“To be honest, their move might be a win-now trade, not a Zion trade,” the executive said. “His trade value isn’t there and they are facing some pressure to win.”

The Pelicans are off to a 2-9 start and have lost three straight games without Williamson and Jordan Poole, who has missed four straight games with a left quad strain.

Dejounte Murray is also out as he makes his way back from a torn Achilles suffered at the end of January.