Ziaire Williams is heading home. After two productive seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, the former lottery pick has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll look to carve out a role on a team with playoff aspirations.
After two seasons with the Nets, Ziaire Williams is headed back home.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced the signing of the former Brooklyn forward to a one-year contract, giving the 24-year-old another opportunity to establish himself with a team expected to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Brooklyn's decision not to exercise Williams' $6.25 million team option at the end of June made him an unrestricted free agent, but it didn't take long for a market to develop. The New Orleans Pelicans were reportedly interested, yet Williams ultimately chose Los Angeles, where he grew up and starred at Sierra Canyon High School alongside current Lakers guard Bronny James. The signing reunites the former high school teammates.
Before agreeing to the deal, the Lakers made it clear they viewed Williams as more than just another minimum signing. According to Marc Stein, a four-person group consisting of Rob Pelinka, Kurt Rambis, Nate McMillan and Greg St. Jean attended Williams' private workout in Las Vegas to evaluate both his conditioning and the progress he had made as a perimeter shooter.
For the veteran's minimum, the Lakers are taking a chance on a former lottery pick who is still just 24 years old.
While Williams hasn't fully lived up to his status as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he rebuilt some of his value during two seasons in Brooklyn. Although his offensive game remained inconsistent, he developed into one of the Nets' better perimeter defenders thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame, length and ability to guard multiple positions.
Last season, Williams averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field, 34.3% from three and 85.0% from the free-throw line across 56 games. His ability to defend multiple positions and knock down open perimeter shots made him a useful rotation piece despite coming off the bench for most of the year.
Williams also averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds during his first season in Brooklyn after arriving in a 2024 trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Although many Nets fans hoped Williams would remain in Brooklyn, the roster simply became too crowded on the wing.
Josh Minott's emergence made him a priority moving forward, and Brooklyn ultimately committed to the 23-year-old with a new contract earlier this offseason. The Nets also added more young talent through the draft, leaving little room to bring Williams back despite the role he carved out over the past two years.
Williams played well enough to remain in an NBA rotation, but Brooklyn's roster shifted in a different direction this offseason.
Now Williams joins a Lakers team with playoff expectations after spending the past two seasons helping Brooklyn through its rebuild.
The Lakers are still reportedly pursuing Jonathan Kuminga and Matisse Thybulle, but if they don't make another addition at forward, Williams could enter training camp competing with Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt for the starting small forward job. Even if he begins the season in a reserve role, his defensive versatility should put him in position to earn consistent minutes.
The Lakers have undergone a significant roster overhaul this offseason. They parted ways with LeBron James, Marcus Smart, DeAndre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes while adding Williams, Grimes, Collin Sexton, Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Jaden Hardy and first-round pick Cameron Carr.
Whether he earns a starting job or comes off the bench, Williams gives the Lakers another lengthy wing capable of defending multiple positions. If he can consistently knock down open threes, he has a chance to become a valuable rotation player for Los Angeles.
For Brooklyn, Williams' departure marks the end of a productive two-year stint. He gave the Nets solid production after arriving from Memphis, but Minott's emergence and Brooklyn's continued youth movement made it difficult to justify another contract.
For Williams, the move is also a homecoming. He'll return to Los Angeles, where he grew up and played his high school basketball, with a chance to earn minutes for a team looking to get back into the playoffs. It's another opportunity for Williams to build on the progress he made in Brooklyn.
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