Zion Williamson played just 29 games last season, and that lack of durability could cost him down the line.

According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, missing more than 22 games triggered a clause in his contract that means the final three seasons on his deal that runs through the 2027-28 campaign are no longer guaranteed. In essence, the Pelicans could waive him following the 2024-25 season and face no financial repercussions for doing so.

The Duke product's availability has been a major focal point since New Orleans selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft.

He played 24 games as a rookie, missed the 2021-22 campaign entirely and played 29 games last season. The 2020-21 season was the only time he hit the 30-game mark when he appeared in 61 as an All-Star who averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.

Williamson showed that season exactly why the Pelicans selected him with the first pick and surely jumped at the chance to sign him to a five-year extension in 2022.

However, as Vorkunov explained, that extension featured some "major hedges" given the amount of time he had already missed in the early stages of his NBA career. Those hedges gave the team some insurance against concerns regarding Williamson's health and conditioning and could lead to his time in New Orleans being much shorter than expected.

It should be noted Vorkunov reported rival executives don't believe the Pelicans will waive him before those non-guaranteed seasons.

After all, the hope is still that he is a franchise cornerstone for years to come for a team that is attempting to establish itself as a Western Conference contender. Williamson is just 23 years old and has shown enough promise to suggest he and Brandon Ingram could be quite the one-two punch for the foreseeable future.

Still, the big man has seen a decrease in his numbers through 23 games this season and is averaging 22.0 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. Throw in well-publicized concerns about his conditioning, and there are at least questions about his future.

Questions that are now a little bit louder after it was revealed some of the remaining years on his deal are not guaranteed.