Why is Zion Williamson suspended from Pelicans? Reason behind 2x All-Star's suspension explored

On Friday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Zion Williamson had been suspended for one game for violating New Orleans Pelicans team policies.

After missing two months, from the beginning of November through the beginning of the new year, Williamson returned to action on Tuesday when the Pelicans faced off with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In his first game back, Williamson threw down a 360 windmill jam on the fastbreak, showing that despite the time off, his athleticism hasn't gone anywhere. Despite that, he will now miss Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers because of a one-game suspension handed down from the Pelicans organization.

According to a follow-up from Charania, Williamson was late for Thursday's flight to Philly. As a result, the franchise hit him with a one-game suspension.

Based on another report from Chris Haynes, Williamson has been late to multiple practices before, which contibuted to his suspension.

While the team is heading into tonight's contest looking to snap a two-game skid that most recently saw the team drop a 119-100 final to the Portland Trail Blazers, they will do so without Williamson.

Looking at the latest trade rumors surrounding Zion Williamson as well as his performance in Tuesday's return to action

Heading into the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline, there has been tons of talk surrounding Zion Williamson's future with the Pelicans.

Given his injury history, and the fact that the franchise hasn't been able to make a deep playoff push in the Williamson-Ingram era, Williamson's name has continued to pop up in trade rumors.

Despite that, and the fact that the franchise is reportedly likely to listen to offers, the Pelicans don't have Williamson on the trade block, and they aren't actively looking to part ways with him.

Instead, the team is looking for Williamson to get back to 100% after his latest injury. In Tuesday's return to action, the two-time All-Star logged 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, a block and three steals over just 28 minutes.

Although it was a one-game sample size, Williamson's play showed that if the Duke alum can stay healthy, he can cause problems for opposing teams on both ends of the floor.

Following Friday's suspension, the expectation is that Zion Williamson will be back in action on Sunday when the Pelicans play the Boston Celtics.