The Los Angeles Lakers have officially agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with Ziaire Williams. The Lakers have had the best offseason of any team in the NBA. They have signed key free agents like Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. They are not done, and the Williams signing may not be the end either.
Williams was the tenth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He has spent his career with the Memphis Grizzlies (three seasons) and the Brooklyn Nets (two seasons).
Williams is a 6’9 Small Forward who is still just 24 years old. He averaged 10.2 points a game last season on the Nets and has a career average of 8.7. He is a willing three-point shooter, but he has yet to become reliable in the NBA. Williams has shot 32% on four attempts a game in his career.
The Lakers are still as involved in NBA rumors as any team, and this move shouldn’t take them out of that. They should still be pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, Peyton Watson, or any other trade target that still makes sense.
Williams should be viewed more as a depth replacement-level player who has an opportunity to be much more. If the Lakers end up trading Jarred Vanderbilt or Dalton Knecht, that’s where Williams brings value. Replacing them with a young talent on a cheap deal is a fantastic move by Lakers management.
Williams was widely viewed as one of the better value players left on the NBA free agency market. Still, this is an incredible deal for such a promising player. Only spending $3 million on him will allow the Lakers to stay active in order to pursue other players. This move won’t make headlines, but it is a great move for a team with hopes of contending.
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