The New Orleans Pelicans appear to be done marketing Zion Williamson

The drama with Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans never seems to end and has taken a weird turn in recent days.

After weeks of silence, Zion was finally called out during All-Star break, when it was revealed that he had yet to speak to new teammate CJ McCollum.

This, and his absence from the team during his injury, have led to widespread speculation about his future in New Orleans, which Zion has not helped by staying completely silent for months.

Personally, I think it is past time for Zion to speak up, as he is allowing national media to control the narrative, speculate wildly and cast aspersions on his character that he could end by having an honest and open dialogue.

There are rumors of friction between the franchise and Zion’s camp, who have argued about his medical treatment in the past, and the Pelicans threw gas on the fire with a recent e-mail to season ticket holders that did not mention Zion Williamson at all.

So what does this mean for Zion Williamson’s future with the New Orleans Pelicans? It’s way too early to tell.

Why the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t marketing Zion Williamson

Because Zion Williamson has been invisible and silent all season, these types of things carry extra meaning and weight with fans.

Like the McCollum debacle, I don’t think we can make too much of the Pelicans not including Zion on their marketing materials, but I can’t say it’s a great sign either.

The team may be growing frustrated with the communication with Zion’s camp, which some have speculated.

To me, this comes down to their duty to their season-ticket holders, many of whom now hold those tickets because of unclear and sometimes downright false information about Zion Williamson’s injury.

Remember when the Pels said he’d be back at the beginning of the season? That seems like five years ago at this point, and also like a cruel joke to fans who shelled out big money for season tickets, partially because they wanted to see Zion.

The Pelicans can’t put themselves in this position again, as they are trying to win over a football-crazed fanbase that is not going put up with being misled.

It’s easier to just leave him off the marketing materials and hope for the best, but I don’t think this is a sign that Zion is going to be traded or that his extension is in jeopardy.

This is a team trying to cover it’s own butt, and as soon as Zion is back healthy and ready to play, his face will be plastered all over their marketing materials.

It’s not a great sign that a team is no longer marketing its alleged franchise player, but like all things with Zion, you never really know what it means because fans are never told anything.