Zion Williamson out 7-10 days with left hamstring strain

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been ruled out for at least seven to 10 days with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring, the team announced Tuesday, a development that will sideline the forward for multiple upcoming games and adds to a long history of availability concerns for the former No. 1 overall pick. Williamson will be reevaluated after the initial recovery window, the team said.

The announcement means Williamson will not play Tuesday when the Pelicans host the Charlotte Hornets and is likely to miss games against Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix scheduled over the next week. The 25 year old appeared in Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, scoring 20 points with nine rebounds and six assists on 7-of-14 shooting, but the hamstring issue flared thereafter. The team had listed him as questionable before confirming the strain.

A Grade 1 hamstring strain is generally considered mild, but hamstring injuries can be unpredictable and have previously sidelined Williamson for extended stretches. The Pelicans said they will manage the injury carefully given his history. Since entering the league as the top pick in 2019, Williamson has played in 219 of a possible 478...