It turns out that the rumors were indeed true. New Los Angeles Lakers forward Ziaire Williams, who signed a one-year contract in July, confirmed Thursday that he has bulked up to 215 pounds.
“Ziaire Williams says that he is 215 pounds right now,” The Athletic’s Law Murray reported on X, formerly Twitter. “(He) had been listed in the past at 185.”
Williams, who turned 25 last month, has arguably generated the most intrigue of any new Laker heading into the 2026-27 season. There is plenty of chatter about the Lakers’ potential starting lineup and if Williams could be among the first five to hit the court every night. A former first round pick, Williams has already had a major impression on his team this preseason.
Williams is Ready to Outplay His Lakers Contract
Coming off a season averaging the most points of his career, Williams has the unique opportunity to not only take the next step but do it on a potential championship-contending team. The good news is that he is already showing all the signs of a budding star player.
“The Lakers signed Quentin Grimes to a four-year, $60 million deal, certainly starting-level money,” Woike wrote. “Ziaire Williams has been impressive in preseason workouts and could also be a starter option. Same for three-and-D wing Matisse Thybulle.”
Part of the Lakers’ reason for pursuing that gentleman who is now in Minnesota is because they wanted two-way versatility from their starting forward. While Williams may not yet have the cache of Mr. I Turned Down $36 Million, he has similar upside and all the tools needed to thrive for Lakers, and it’ll start with what he can provide defensively.
“There’s not really anything I’m not comfortable with,” Williams said of his defensive mentality. “If it’s a smaller guy bringing the ball up and pick up 94 (feet) or if it’s, you know, a bigger wing who likes to play off the live dribble and jab step, be more physical off the ball. It’s all personnel-based, whether they’re shooter, drive left, drive right, etcetera. It just depends on the matchup.”
Can Williams Be a Game-Changer for L.A.?
Lakers fans are excited about him, and for all the right reasons. While it isn’t fair to slap him with the “star” label yet, Williams could very well become that in his role for the Lakers early on this season. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, the Lakers can expect plenty from him.
“He played all five positions at least (at) one point throughout the course of the year,” Nets reporter Conner Long said in a recent interview. “That shows me at the very least the coaching staff had some degree of trust in him to hold his own defensively against bigger guys. We’ll see what L.A. does and how they manage that and if they want to give him some run against 4s or 5s, but I think he has the tools to do it.”
Aside from his past connection with Lakers guard Bronny James, Williams sure seems like a player who was always fit for L.A. But the expectations are high. Maybe higher than they should be for a relatively unproven player on a one-year deal.
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