The Los Angeles Lakers will need help from a lot of unlikely sources this season to reach their dream goals. New forward Ziaire Williams is one of the less talked about signings, but he may have a huge role in the team’s results. The Lakers lack depth at the forward position after losing LeBron James and a handful of other names. Williams is one of the few options known for hitting corner threes and defending to perfectly fit what the team needs.
A recent interview with Sports Illustrated saw Williams revealing he’d love to start and contribute to winning basketball:
“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. I don’t think it’s altered whether or not Jonathan Kuminga was 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.”
The Lakers hoped to add Kuminga in free agency as the final piece before he opted to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves instead. Kuminga picked a spot where he believes he’ll have a better chance of contending for an NBA Championship. The decision caused Williams and others to have more responsibility if the team doesn’t sign anyone else.
Why Ziaire Williams Was Most Underrated Lakers Signing
The Lakers offseason will be defined by the two biggest moves of Austin Reaves signing a new long-term contract and Walker Kessler becoming the center of the future. Unfortunately, most of the money going there led to weaker forward depth.
Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, and Jarred Vanderbilt will all be expected to play noteworthy minutes at both forward positions. However, Grimes lacks the size for a true wing player and the other two are flawed with realistic scenarios of needing another name to step up.
Williams joined Los Angeles after a few years with the Brooklyn Nets. Despite the Nets tanking to rebuild with draft picks, Williams did his best to contribute to winning basketball. The Lakers need a “three and D” wing player for next season, and no one is better on the roster than Williams for that role.
Lakers Signing Another Name Could Hurt Williams
Another huge variable here is the Lakers potentially adding another free agent before the season. Losing both LeBron and Rui Hachimura means that both starting forwards who averaged heavy minutes are gone.
Even if the new players do well, the Lakers will need to have strong depth to be safe. Bruce Brown stands out as a respected free agent who has played for title contenders in the past and stepped up to get big minutes.
The Lakers could go after Brown or another cheap veteran on the market, but that would require having to lose two current members of the roster. Luka Doncic will need all the help that he can get from his teammates, and Williams is speaking like he’s fully ready to provide that.
Unlikely Lakers Player Reveals Goal To Make Starting Lineup