Zion Williamson’s Injury Update Sparks Urgent Questions About His NBA Future

Oh man, here we go again—Zion Williamson’s hamstring is acting up, and the Pelicans just dropped the news Tuesday that he’s dealing with a Grade 1 strain. They’re playing it cautious—re-evaluating in 7-10 days—but as always, no clear word on when he might hit the court again. It’s maddening because every time Zion flashes that potential, another injury sidelines him, grinding the Pelicans’ hopes to a screeching halt. With the team already stumbling at 0-6 this season, this setback feels like a bitter punch to the gut. The question hanging heavy in the air: how long will this keep dragging on? Hamstring injuries have haunted Zion before, knocking him out for chunks of games—and it’s painful to watch such immense talent be held hostage by his own body. Through it all, he’s shown glimpses of brilliance—averaging nearly a monster double-double, shooting lights out when healthy. But those highlights barely patch over the fact that he’s missed more than half his games since entering the league. Conditioning critiques and contract clauses aside, Zion claimed he was in the best shape of his life heading into this season. Yet here we are, the same frustrating story unfolding anew. It’s tough not to feel the weight of what’s slipping through the Pelicans’ fingers, and honestly, it stings. LEARN MORE

Zion Williamson is injured again.

The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Williamson has suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain. He’ll be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. The Pelicans did not offer a timeline for return.

The injury is the latest for Williamson, whose career has been derailed by injuries since the Pelicans drafted him first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. It arrives six games into an already disappointing season for the Pelicans, who are off to an 0-6 start.

It’s difficult to project how long Williamson will be sidelined. Hamstring injuries can linger and have sidelined Williamson at length in the past.

Zion Williamson is injured again. (Associated Press)

(James Gilbert via Getty Images)

When available, Williamson is the offensive force the Pelicans hoped for when they drafted him. For his career, he’s averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 58.6% from the field. But he’s missed more games than he’s played.

Since joining the NBA, Williamson has played in 219 of a possible 478 regular-season games — a roughly 45.8% availability rate. He’s played in more than 30 games in just two of six seasons, which includes missing the entire 2021-22 campaign.

A hamstring injury cost Williamson a significant portion of the 2024-25 season in which he played 30 out of 82 regular-season games.

Williamson has faced criticism throughout his career for his lack of conditioning and has clauses in his contract concerning his weight and body-fat percentage. But he came into the new NBA season appearing to be in the best shape of his career.

He told reporters in a preseason news conference that “it feels good to feel good.”

“I haven’t felt like this since college, high school, just where I can walk into a gym and I feel good,” Williamson said Sept. 23.

But now Williamson is injured again. And a Pelicans season that already appears to be lost has sustained another blow.