The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a disappointing 21-61 in the 2024-25 season, a year that was ruined by injuries as the franchise looked to follow up a promising 2023-24 campaign, where they won the second-most games in franchise history (49 games).<\/p>\n
If they want things to turn around next season, they’ll look to lean on multi-time All-Star forward Zion Williamson, who is coming off a season where he played in just 30 games. But, according to his teammate Trey Murphy III, fans should be excited to know that Williamson is looking like a completely different version of himself, mentally and physically.<\/p>\n
“He is slimmer than I have ever seen him in the summer time… He is in a really good place mentally”<\/p>\n
— Trey Murphy on Zion Williamson pic.twitter.com\/5NhqUE5z3a<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) September 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n During Pelicans media day on Tuesday, Murphy took to the mic to share what he’s seen in Williamson, giving fans excitement rather than the typical concern that surrounds the former first-overall pick.<\/p>\n “He’s slimmer than I have ever seen him during the summer time, which is always a really good sign… He is in a really good place mentally,” Murphy shared.<\/p>\n Zion Williamson: \u201cI haven\u2019t felt like this since college, high school. It feels good to feel good.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/XJqcb2iTcI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rashad Milligan (@RashadMilligan) September 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Looking back to provide context, the subject of Williamson’s weight has always been an eyebrow raiser in the basketball community. During his time at Duke, Williamson was listed at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds. Looking at weights around the league<\/a>, his 285 lbs mark would put him in the same range as Nikola Jokic and Brook Lopez, which isn’t exactly ideal.<\/p>\n While the weight didn’t seem to cause any problems during his stint with the Blue Devils, it has been a frequent topic of discussion since he entered the NBA. Legends such as Carmelo Anthony<\/a> have spoken out on the subject, urging the Pelicans star to seek discipline in his diet and routine to avoid gaining more weight.<\/p>\n REPORT: Zion Williamson now weighs 264 pounds, his lightest weight since being drafted by the Pelicans.<\/p>\n (via @mikecwright<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/I4CFX37AJ4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Whether it’s been a result of the weight or other physical concerns, Williamson has logged just 214 regular-season appearances across six seasons in the NBA (missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury).<\/p>\n Now, with a new front office regime led by Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver, there’s no telling how much patience they’ll have with their star forward if they don’t see some drastic changes. While there have been encouraging signs that indicate Williamson is going in the right direction, it all comes down to whether or not he’s healthy and available on the court.<\/p>\n In a worst-case scenario, if the Pelicans decide to part ways with the injury-riddled Williamson, they can release him next offseason before July 15th<\/a> with no penalty.<\/p>\n