Zion expected to return to practice next week

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has begun the conditioning phase of his rehabilitation program and is expected to be a full participant at practice next week, the team announced Tuesday.

The 24-year-old has been sidelined for 21 games with a left hamstring strain. Williamson was initially expected to miss four-to-six weeks, but his timeline was extended as he's dealt with multiple hamstring injuries over his career - he missed the final 45 games of the 2022-23 season with hamstring problems.

Williamson's injury status will be considered week-to-week going forward.

The Duke product has only appeared in six of the Pelicans' 30 games this season, averaging 22.7 points, eight rebounds, and 5.3 assists.

The top pick from the 2019 draft has only played 190 games throughout his career and is in the second season of a five-year, $197-million deal. However, his contract isn't guaranteed for the final three seasons, according to a report from last December. Williamson has a chance to regain 20% of his guaranteed money next season if he passes six weigh-in checkpoints over the course of the 2024-25 campaign. He can gain an additional 40% if he appears in at least 41 games this year.

New Orleans also announced that former All-Star Brandon Ingram will miss at least another two weeks with an ankle sprain and backup guard Jose Alvarado is also expected to return to practice next week after missing 19 contests with a hamstring strain.

The Pelicans have been decimated by injuries this season, with a league-leading 14 players missing time for a total of 137 games.

The 5-25 Pelicans are last in the Western Conference. New Orleans will take on the Houston Rockets on Thursday.