The Lakers moved quickly on a player who looked tailor-made for Philadelphia’s needs.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Los Angeles has signed Ziaire Williams to a one-year, $3 million deal, adding the 24-year-old forward to a roster that has undergone a major facelift this summer. For the Lakers, it’s the kind of low-cost swing that can pay off in a hurry.
For the 76ers, it reads like a missed chance. Philadelphia has spent the offseason chasing bigger names, but the roster still needs depth, and Williams fit the profile of the kind of player Nick Nurse could use. Nurse wants the Sixers to play faster next season, and Williams was one of the few young, long, athletic forwards still available on the open market.
That matters because the Lakers are not exactly built around burst and bounce. They’re loaded with skilled players, but not many who bring Williams’ kind of athletic juice. He gives them a springy option on the wing and another body for the forward rotation.
Williams, the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has not yet become the player the Grizzlies hoped for when they selected him. Memphis eventually moved on from the project, but there’s still plenty to like about the Stanford product. His length and explosiveness give him a workable floor and a ceiling that still invites optimism, especially as a backup forward.
Last season with the Nets, Williams averaged 10.2 points in just under 23 minutes per game. He shot 42.5 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, numbers that don’t jump off the page, but he still found ways to make plays in transition and capitalize on chances in a Brooklyn offense that didn’t offer much steady creation.
He’s not a finished product, and the defense and perimeter shooting still need work. But the tools are obvious, and that’s what makes him appealing. There are even some similarities to Kelly Oubre Jr. in terms of position and style, which only sharpens the sense that Philadelphia could use a player like this after Oubre’s departure in free agency.
The Sixers may still have bigger targets in mind, so this isn’t the kind of move that should trigger real regret. Even so, Williams would have been a smart, practical addition. Instead, that upside now belongs to the Lakers.
In Other News...
Sixers Just Made A Frontcourt Move Fans Have Been Waiting On
The 76ers added another frontcourt option on July 6, signing center Ariel Hukporti after his season with the Knicks, according to a team press release. The 7-footer appeared in 54 games for New York last season and also saw action in 10 playoff games during the clubs championship run, giving Philadelphia a young big man with some recent high-level experience.
Hukportis path to the NBA has been a long one, as he was drafted by the Knicks in 2024 after spending six years overseas. The move gives the Sixers another body in the middle as they continue to sort out their frontcourt rotation, though the team did not disclose the terms of the deal. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Suddenly Face A Nick Nurse Question With Labaron Philon Jr
The addition of Anfernee Simons gives Philadelphia another proven scoring guard, but it also sharpens the question of how the backcourt will be sorted once the season starts. Rookie Labaron Philon Jr. is expected to be part of the regular rotation, and his game brings a different feel than Simons', with a more controlled, change-of-speed style that has drawn comparisons to Tyrese Maxey at the same stage of his career.
Nick Nurse now has a familiar kind of puzzle on his hands, and it may come down to what he values most when the minutes get tight. Philons appeal is not just on the offensive end, since his early college tape showed he could pressure the ball, while Simons offers a more established scoring punch, leaving Philadelphia with a backcourt decision that could say as much about Nurses priorities as it does about either guards talent. [Read more 🡒]