Projecting where Ziaire Williams fits into the Nets' depth chart
By Lior Lampert
On Friday, the Brooklyn Nets acquired former 2021 lottery pick Ziaire Williams from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Memphis sent Williams and a 2030 second-round pick (via the Dallas Mavericks) to Brooklyn for veteran forward Mamadi Diakite.
Memphis reportedly parted ways with Williams as a salary dump, clearing cap space to re-sign sharpshooter Luke Kennard while remaining below the luxury tax. But one person's trash may be another's treasure, and that's what Brooklyn hopes will be the case by taking a flier on the soon-to-be 23-year-old.
With that in mind, where does Williams fit into the current construct of the Nets roster? Does he have a path to consistent playing time? Below, we will forecast how Brooklyn's depth chart shakes out in light of adding a young wing with a decent amount of upside.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PG | Dennis Schröder | Ben Simmons | Shake Milton | |
SG | Cam Thomas | Dariq Whitehead | ||
SF | Cameron Johnson | Ziaire Williams | Jaylen Martin | |
PF | Dorian Finney-Smith | Bojan Bogdanović | Jalen Wilson | Trendon Watford |
C | Nic Claxton | Noah Clowney | Day'Ron Sharpe |
Projecting where Ziaire Williams fits into the Nets' depth chart
Williams should slot in as a critical reserve for the Nets rather quickly. Moreover, he has room for an expanded role depending on if Brooklyn unloads other frontcourt pieces like Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith or Bojan Bogdanović.
Johnson and Finney-Smith have both drawn considerable interest via the trade market. And given the state of the Nets organization, recouping maximum value for them seems like the logical approach. Meanwhile, Bogdanović has aggregate restrictions until Sept. 6, meaning Brooklyn can't package him in deals with other players. Nonetheless, the Croatian swingman may appeal to suitors as an intriguing bench scorer with an expiring $19 million salary.
Considering the Nets lack notable homegrown developmental prospects, Williams has little competition in the second unit. Other than Jalen Wilson, Brooklyn's 2023 second-round selection, the former has virtually no challengers to be the backup three. Regardless, it is on him to seize the opportunity.
This past season, Williams averaged 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.4 minutes per game across 51 contests. Alas, his inefficient shooting has been a recurring theme throughout his career. He made 39.7 percent of his field goal attempts and converted 30.7 percent of his three.
Leaving a non-shooter on the floor for extended periods is challenging in today's NBA. So, Williams must find a way to improve in that department to avoid getting phased out of the rotation in Brooklyn (or anywhere).
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