Ziaire Williams will be one of the new faces in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform this upcoming season. Brought in as part of a major roster overhaul, he will be looking to make an impact.
Williams, 24, was added with depth in mind, but the 6’9” forward already sees a larger opening in front of him after Los Angeles missed out on Jonathan Kuminga. And frankly, Williams doesn’t think Kuminga signing elsewhere changes much of anything for the Lakers.
“Yeah, I do, and I mean that’s the GM’s job, right to put the best pieces together to try to win a championship,” Williams told Sports Illustrated. “I don’t think it’s altered whether or not Kuminga was here.”
Williams joined the Lakers having seen his team option declined by the Brooklyn Nets. He signed a one-year deal, which makes next season a solid opportunity to prove himself at the wing position in L.A.
New Lakers Addition Gives Honest Thoughts on Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga was the Lakers’ reported go-to summer target. After LeBron James and Rui Hachimura departed in free agency, adding a starting-caliber wing became a top priority. They stayed in talks with Kuminga even after filling out much of the roster with the likes of Quentin Grimes, Williams and Matisse Thybulle.
Landing Williams and Thybulle was a calculated move, as they both joined on minimum-level deals in part of a broader push for size and defense on the wing after the team spent most of its cap space elsewhere.
They still kept the Kuminga opportunity wide open up until he signed for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now Williams is making it clear the he and the Lakers aren’t worried about the guys who aren’t here.
“I wish him the best of luck in Minnesota, but as a team, we’re focused on the guys we have and making a deep playoff run and winning an NBA championship and I think we have the tools to do so,” Williams added.
Perhaps Kuminga wasn’t so much of a desperate priority like Walker Kessler was. The Lakers would have loved the wing addition, but they do have capable players that can play that position and also provide depth.
How deep of a rotation piece Williams will be remains to be seen but the chances of major minutes could be there. He could compete with Thybulle and rookie Cameron Carr for playing time on the wing.
Williams Role in L.A.
Williams played 56 games last season but started only 13. He has already been utilized as a bench piece, and the Lakers will likely continue him from there.
Depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out, minutes will be earned, with Grimes likely to take the starting small forward position. That was reportedly the spot that Kuminga would have taken had he joined.
Williams isn’t a top-tier kind of wing, but he brings length and is taller than almost every wing option currently available. He also has defense and, despite not being a top shooter, he has enough to stay on the floor next to Luka Doncic.
Williams averaged a career-high 10.2 points last season, but the Lakers will need plenty more things ahead of his scoring.
New Lakers PF Sends Blunt Message to Jonathan Kuminga After Wolves Decision