Ziaire Williams is about to find out what he’s worth on the open market. The Brooklyn Nets declined his $6.25 million team option ahead of free agency, making the 24-year-old forward an unrestricted free agent. Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto first reported the move, and ClutchPoints later confirmed it.
The timing is interesting. The Nets just re-signed forward Josh Minott to a two-year, $9 million deal and acquired Julius Randle from the Timberwolves last week. So it’s pretty clear they’re shifting direction up front.
Williams spent two seasons in Brooklyn after arriving as a salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 offseason. He wasn’t a throwaway piece though. The 6-foot-8 wing actually played the best ball of his career with the Nets, putting up 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game across 119 appearances, 58 of them starts.
The jump in his three-point shooting was real. After shooting just 30.1 percent from deep on 8.6 attempts per 100 possessions during his first three years in Memphis, Williams knocked down 34.2 percent on 9.7 attempts per 100 possessions in Brooklyn. That’s a meaningful leap for a guy who was basically a non-threat before.
Defensively, he showed flashes of being a real pest off the bench. Quick hands, long arms, active in passing lanes. But his offensive game outside of spotting up? That’s where teams will have questions. His effective field goal percentage sat at 51.7, which ranks in the 31st percentile among wings, per CleaningTheGlass. And his assist-to-usage ratio was way down in the 7th percentile. He’s not a guy you want initiating offense or creating his own shot inside the arc right now.
Still, the combination of improved shooting and defensive versatility should draw interest. There are always teams looking for 3-and-D wings who are still young enough to grow.
The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are one team to watch. There’s a connection there: Williams was a high school teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon back in 2019-20. Could that matter in a recruitment pitch? Maybe. Bronny’s dad might have some thoughts.
As for which teams can actually make a run at him, it depends on what kind of exception they have. Contenders with the taxpayer mid-level ($6.065 million) or non-taxpayer mid-level ($15.048 million) have a clear path. Williams isn’t going to break the bank, but he could be a nice piece for a team that needs cheap wing depth with some upside.
His next move might tell us a lot about how the league views him. Is he a reclamation project or a rotation player? The market will decide.
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