The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Monday that Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum will not play again this season.
Williamson is dealing with a bone contusion in his lower back that he sustained on March 19. McCollum has a contusion in his right foot that he suffered on March 23.
The Pelicans cited the injuries as the reason for the shut-downs. Per the Pelicans, each player's recovery plan will consist of rest and treatement.
The 21-54 Pelicans have the fourth-worst record in the NBA and are in the hunt for the No. 1 pick in a draft featuring generational talent Cooper Flagg. The teams with the three worst records each have an equal chance (14%) in the draft lottery of securing the No. 1 pick. The team with the fourth-worst record has a 12.5% chance of landing the top pick.
The Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards accounted for the three worst records in the league prior to Monday's games. The Pelicans have seven games remaining in their regular season.
Rough season in New Orleans
The season-ending injuries cap an injury-plagued season in New Orleans in which each of the Pelicans' top players including Williamson, McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III and Brandon Ingram missed significant playing time with various ailments.
Murray (Achilles) and Murphy (labrum) are already shut down with season-ending injuries. Ingram missed his last 27 games in New Orleans with a sprained ankle before the Pelicans traded him to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the trade deadline. He hasn't played since.
For Williamson, the news concludes another injury-stunted season for the former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke. Williamson finishes his season having played just 30 games.
In six seasons since being selected in 2019 draft, Williamson has played in more than 30 games just twice (61 in 2020-21; 70 in 2023-24). He missed the entire 2021-22 season with injury and was limited to 24 (2019-20) and 29 games (2022-23) in his other two seasons.
