Even as the coaching seat in New Orleans stays warm, one thing is not up for debate inside the Pelicans organization: their belief in Zion Williamson. Brandon 'Scoop' B Robinson reports that there have been internal discussions within the New Orleans organization, that they are actively considering a two- to three-year contract extension for the superstar forward this summer, with the deal expected to be in the $30-$35 million per season range.

On the surface, the timing might raise eyebrows. Williamson is currently midway through the five-year max extension he signed in 2022, meaning the Pelicans would be layering a new commitment on top of an existing one. Per Robinson, sources say the organization views this not as redundancy; it is resolved. The front office wants to remove any lingering ambiguity around Zion’s future and make a clear, unambiguous statement to the rest of the league: this franchise is being built around him, full stop.

The previous extension reportedly included certain team protections that provided the organization with a degree of financial and roster flexibility. By exploring a cleaner, more straightforward long-term agreement now, New Orleans appears willing to move past those protections, a signal of both loyalty to Williamson and confidence in his long-term health and trajectory.

Borrego’s Bo Jackson Moment

Head coach James Borrego has not been shy about his admiration for what Williamson brings to the floor — physically, emotionally, and competitively. When Robinson recently sat down with Borrego, he reached for a reference that transcends basketball entirely.

“Speed, force, violence, downhill,” Borrego told me when describing Williamson’s game. “I was watching an ESPN 30 for 30 on Bo Jackson. He was a phenomenal athlete. Powerful, strong, physical. If Z played football, he’d probably have that type of impact on the game.”

The Bo Jackson comparison is not thrown around lightly. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest pure athletes in American sports history, a man whose combination of size, speed, and raw power left defenders helpless regardless of which sport he was playing. For Borrego to invoke that name is less a hyperbole and more a recognition of what Williamson’s physical profile genuinely represents: a talent that defies conventional categorization.

That kind of buy-in from the coaching staff, paired with the front office’s extension discussions, paints a picture of an organization fully aligned around its cornerstone. Now the question becomes what surrounds him.

The Guard Search: Morant Talks, Deadline Drama, and Summer Plans

New Orleans entered the February trade deadline with serious aspirations, aggressively pursuing Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant. Robinson reported that the Pelicans put a compelling offer on the table: Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray in exchange for Morant and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It was a bold swing at a franchise-altering playmaker, the kind of star guard who could complement Williamson’s interior dominance and give the Pelicans a legitimate backcourt weapon.

The deal never crossed the finish line. But the ambition behind it tells you everything about what New Orleans is searching for. And sources indicate the search continues. Poole is expected to be available again this summer, and Murray’s name could also resurface in trade conversations as the front office looks to reshape the roster around Zion.

Perhaps more interesting is what happened on Morant’s end. A league source shared with Robinson that the All-Star had no idea who was pursuing him until after the deadline had passed.

“Ja didn’t know who was coming at him until after the deadline,” the source said. “It was painted as if nobody wanted him, but that wasn’t the reality. He wants to go somewhere he can prove his worth. Someone who actually wants him, and where he can just play basketball.”

It’s a revealing detail. Whether or not Morant ultimately lands in New Orleans, the fact that the Pelicans were willing to give up two significant rotation players to acquire him underscores the urgency the organization feels about building a complete team around Williamson,  not just locking him in financially, but surrounding him with the weapons to make a genuine playoff run.

Between the extension conversations, the Borrego buy-in, and an aggressive posture in the trade market, New Orleans is sending a message to the rest of the NBA: Zion is the plan, and they are fully committed to it.