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The clincher that cemented the Lakers' one-year minimum deal to sign former lottery pick Ziaire Williams that was formally announced Sunday? I'm told that a four-person Lakers contingent — with assistant coaches Nate McMillan and Greg St. Jean joining lead executive Rob Pelinka and senior adviser Kurt Rambis — went to watch the 6-foot-9 Williams at a private workout at trainer Joe Abunassar's Impact Basketball gym in Las Vegas to gauge the state of Williams' game and recent efforts to sharpen his perimeter shooting.
Marc Stein: The Lakers have again broadened their search for perimeter defense, league sources say, registering interest this week in free agent Matisse Thybulle. They have already added Ziaire Williams while also continuing to pursue Jonathan Kuminga. More NBA: tinyurl.com/y2a9b8p6
Dan Woike: The Lakers have agreed to a deal with Ziaire Williams, team and league sources say. New Orleans had made a push in recent days to sign the 25-year-old, but the chance to play for his hometown Lakers in a winning situation has him headed to LA.
Shams Charania: Free agent forward Ziaire Williams has agreed on a one-year, $3 million deal to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN.
According to a league source, one player the Lakers could take a look at in free agency is Brooklyn small forward Zaire Williams, who had his team option declined by the Nets on Sunday. The Lakers have desires to get younger and more athletic on the wing, and Williams is coming off back-to-back seasons in Brooklyn where he averaged more than 10 points and shot better than 34 percent from 3-point range.
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Brooklyn declining Ziaire Williams' $6.25 million team option, as reported by HoopsHype and the New York Post, could be a prelude to the Nets re-signing him to a longer deal using their room exception once they're done using all their cap space. For now, the Nets have $36 million in functional cap room.
Michael Scotto: The Brooklyn Nets will decline their $6.25 million team option on Ziaire Williams, league sources told @hoopshype. The 24-year-old forward averaged 10.2 points in 56 games played for Brooklyn last season. Williams will become an unrestricted free agent.
Erik Slater: Nic Claxton (Right Hand Soreness) and Ziaire Williams (Left Foot Soreness) are OUT for Nets tomorrow vs. Wizards. Noah Clowney (Left Ankle Soreness) is questionable. Terance Mann (Right Patella Tendon Soreness/Left Achilles Soreness) is probable.
Ziaire Williams seems to have finally gotten beyond his reputation for inconsistency which has plagued him since his freshman year at Stanford. “He’s taken advantage of all those opportunities. He’s embraced what we’re doing and the process, which is the best thing. He understands. He’s about the right things,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “I’m happy with him, and I’ve seen what I had to see. I also need him to go through this [remaining] stretch of eight games. “So, he’s embraced every situation. I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from him, and then we’ll make decisions when we have to. Obviously, it’s very collaborative around here. I’m not the one making decisions on the roster, but I’m always asked, and right now, we’re in a good place. The process is the best thing; it’s just going through it.”
Just as Luka Doncic's case for MVP was picking up steam, the Los Angeles Lakers' star was whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season in Friday's 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, and he will face a one-game suspension if it is upheld. Doncic and Nets forward Ziaire Williams were assessed double techs with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter after jostling with one another following an offensive foul called on Doncic. A video review showed Doncic pushing Williams and Williams retaliating by swiping back at Doncic's face. Both players were called for a technical foul by crew chief Sean Wright. "[Williams] was yelling in my face -- three times," Doncic said after finishing with 41 points in the victory. "I just wanted to get out of there. It's a double tech, of course. What can I say? I didn't even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed, my push was 'exaggerated,' which [it] was obviously not. And I don't know what else to tell you."
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Dan Woike: “Just (being) competitive. I'm always (going to) compete no matter who it is," Ziaire Williams said postgame of his run-in with Luka Dončić. "So I guess he didn't like the physicality or whatever it was. But no hard feelings on this end."
NBA Stat: 10 longest shots ever (in feet): Baron Davis - 89 (2001) Norm Van Lier - 84 (1977) Magic Johnson - 84 (1987) LeBron James - 83 (2007) Herb Williams - 81 (1986) Ziaire Williams - 79 (2023) Zoran Planinic - 77 (2005) 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮 - 𝟳𝟱 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲) Keon Clark - 73 (2000) Vince Carter - 72 (2016) #NBA
Law Murray: The Brooklyn Nets report that Michael Porter Jr. will be available for Tuesday night vs Los Angeles Lakers. Porter missed the last two games, including a 53-point lashing in Detroit. Brooklyn also upgraded Noah Clowney (back) and Ziaire Williams (calf) to probable.
