Sources: Zion (hamstring) not close to returning

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has undergone multiple treatments on his left hamstring and is not close to a return to action, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Williamson, who has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring strain on Nov. 6, will be out for an extended period of time longer, sources said. The Pelicans have been bracing for Williamson to be sidelined for at least four to six weeks, which places him out through mid-December, but his absence could extend beyond that as he rehabilitates a body part that has sustained multiple strains over the past few years.

Williamson has been limited to just six of New Orleans’ 16 games this year.

The injury was a devastating blow for the Pelicans and Williamson, who team officials believe has been in the best shape of his career. Since the Pelicans selected Williamson first overall out of Duke in the 2019 draft, the 6-foot-6, 284-pound power forward has missed 210 out of a possible 400 regular-season games.

Injuries have been the story of the season so far for New Orleans. Key offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray fractured his hand in the team’s season opener while CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado have also been sidelined at points this season.

At 4-12, the Pelicans have the second-worst record in the Western Conference having lost three straight and nine of their past 10 games.

New Orleans plays at Golden State in an NBA Cup game Friday night.