David Griffin: Extending Zion Williamson is an easy decision

New Orleans Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin called Zion Williamson a max player and said it is an “easy decision” to offer him a big money extension. Williamson is eligible to sign a five-year, $181 million max rookie extension this summer.
Source: ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
LIVE recording Locked On Pelicans right now! Come hangout and talk Zion, NBA Draft, and more!
youtube.com/watch?v=FNBf1S… – 7:02 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Pelicans GM Griffin on Zion Williamson: “This is a max player. That’s easy.” nba.nbcsports.com/2022/06/09/pel… – 6:35 PM

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Locked On Pelicans LIVE show tonight at 6 pm central!
Zion Williamson updates and I’ll answer your questions on the NBA Draft and Free Agency. Be sure to join in!
https://t.co/QUvo6YZ497 pic.twitter.com/SayqwAu9Sv – 1:17 PM

Christian Clark @cclark_13
Zion’s extension, another candidate for an extension and the TV deal. All covered in here. nola.com/sports/pelican… – 9:05 AM

Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
An all-smile Zion Williamson is putting in some off-season work at Pelicans facilities in NOLA. Zion is on his way to in-action return next season after he sat out in 2021-22 season due to injury. #Pelicans pic.twitter.com/83Nqp9wGQl – 5:40 PM

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Trade value ranking for Zion Williamson…
(He would be fourth among power forwards). pic.twitter.com/9m31hcqUtR – 4:40 PM

More on this storyline

Griffin did note, however, that the team would need to protect itself in some way against the risk of injuries. “What becomes significant as a team that’s a small market team and as a team that can’t make mistakes in terms of injuries over time, you have indemnify yourself in some way for that and that’s fine,” he said. “But the decision of whether or not this is a max player is an easy one. It’s really going to be about if you’re all the way in with us this is what it looks like and we’re all the way in with him and I think we always have been.” -via ESPN / June 9, 2022

Griffin said the team had always been on the same page with Williamson and feels good about their relationship with him. “It was really comforting when he did his media availability post-season and said how much he buys into this,” Griffin said. “I saw him be utterly moved by Willie Green and his staff and this team quite frankly during that playoff run. So we feel really confident he wants to be here and we feel equally confident we can come to an agreement.” -via ESPN / June 9, 2022

Christian Clark: Griff was asked about Zion’s extension on Ryen Russillo’s podcast: “This is a max player. That’s easy.” Added that as a small market team, New Orleans has to “indemnify yourself in some way.” -via Twitter @cclark_13 / June 9, 2022