Ziaire Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Z. Williams, Simmons, Celtics, Sixers

September 10th, 2025 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets swingman Ziaire Williams waived his right to veto a trade as part of his new two-year contract agreement with the Nets, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal or a two-year deal that includes a second-year option is typically given an implicit no-trade clause, but a team can ask the player to give up that no-trade clause upon signing. Because Williams – whose contract features a second-year team option – agreed to do so, he would lose his Bird rights if he’s traded ahead of February’s deadline.

Brooklyn has been looking to maintain trade flexibility while re-signing its free agents to short-term deals — the team has gotten Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe to waive their trade veto rights and sought to get Cam Thomas to do the same. However, Thomas opted to accept his qualifying offer, taking a lesser 2025/26 salary in order to maintain full control over a potential trade.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Following up on reports indicating that Ben Simmons rebuffed interest from the Knicks and is no longer being represented by agent Bernie Lee, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post directly connects the two developments — a source tells Bondy that Lee dropped Simmons as a client after the former No. 1 overall pick “sent signals that he wasn’t interested in whatever came from his agent’s conversations with the Knicks.”
A panel of NBC Sports Boston staffers, including NBA insider Chris Forsberg, consider which of the Celtics‘ two-way players is most likely to help the team this season. The consensus is that big man Amari Williams, the 46th overall pick in June’s draft, has the clearest path to regular playing time, given the key frontcourt players Boston lost this offseason.
Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) explores some burning roster-related questions facing the Sixers ahead of the 2025/26 season. Outside of the obvious uncertainty related to Joel Embiid‘s and Paul George‘s availability, Mizell considers what the backcourt rotation will look like and how the team will replace Guerschon Yabusele‘s production following his departure in free agency.

Nets Notes: Cap Room, Council, Zeng, Sharpe, Williams

September 9th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

A league source who spoke to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) observed that the Nets‘ decision to officially finalize deals with Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams suggests there are no more major trades on tap for Brooklyn this offseason.

“There’s no big move coming,” the source said.

As Lewis writes, while a “big” deal (ie. one that lands the Nets a first-round pick, like the Michael Porter Jr./Cameron Johnson trade) may not be coming, that doesn’t mean a smaller salary-dump isn’t in the works. As we detailed earlier today, Brooklyn is still operating below the minimum salary floor, so the team has plenty of incentive to take on some additional salary before the regular season tips off.

While the Nets are currently only $649K below the minimum floor, that number could increase to $7MMish if the team waives three players on non-guaranteed minimum-salary contracts in order to set its 15-man regular season roster. After reaching the salary floor, Brooklyn would still have roughly $15.5MM in cap room left over.

“They need to spend about $7 million before the start of the season,” one league source told Lewis. “They’re going to get to the floor and roll over the rest (of their cap room) into the season.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Within that same story, Lewis says that Ricky Council IV‘s contract with Brooklyn – which is not yet official – will be partially guaranteed. While player agents sometimes refer to Exhibit 10 contracts that include $85,300 bonuses as “partially guaranteed,” it doesn’t sound like that’s what Lewis means in this case. He adds that Council seems “highly unlikely” to be waived before the start of the season.
Lewis views Chinese forward Fanbo Zeng as the top candidate to fill the Nets’ final two-way contract slot alongside Tyson Etienne and E.J. Liddell.
The slight pay bumps that Sharpe and Williams received from the Nets represent a “gesture of goodwill after they waited for their deals to be finalized,” writes C.J. Holmes for The New York Daily News (subscription required). Both Sharpe and Williams agreed to two-year, $12MM deals with Brooklyn at the end of June; after waiting more than two months to officially sign, each player instead received $12.5MM. Only the first year of each deal is guaranteed, so Sharpe and Williams will earn an extra $250K apiece in 2025/26, with the opportunity to earn an extra $250K apiece if their $6.25MM team options for ’27/28 are exercised.

Nets Officially Re-Sign Ziaire Williams

September 8th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

10:30 am: As we speculated below, the Nets did in fact increase Williams’ two-year deal to $12.5MM, confirms Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The contract still features a second-year team option.

9:54 am: Over two months after their agreement was first reported, the Nets have officially finalized their deal with free agent swingman Ziaire Williams, the team confirmed today (Twitter link via Erik Slater of Clutch Points).

While the Nets didn’t provide any details on the contract besides referring to it as a “multiyear” arrangement, reporting on June 30 indicated that Williams would be signing a two-year, $12MM deal, with a second-year team option.

For what it’s worth, Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe reportedly agreed to the same terms, and when he officially re-signed last week, the total value of his contract was bumped slightly from $12MM to $12.5MM. It’s possible Brooklyn will do the same for Williams.

A former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade during the 2024 offseason, Williams averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.

While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch. The former Stanford standout came at No. 43 on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents.

Assuming Williams’ first-year salary comes in around $6MM, Brooklyn will still have just over $16MM in cap space available after officially re-signing Williams, Sharpe, and Cam Thomas. The team, which will also have the $8.8MM room exception at its disposal once it uses up its room, could increase its cap space by waiving one or more players who have non-guaranteed salaries.

It’s also worth noting that a player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. I expect the Nets asked Williams to waive his trade veto rights, but we don’t have confirmation on that yet.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Thomas, Edgecombe, Bridges

July 30th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets still have significant cap space this summer, observes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). The club is also still in a bit of a contract stalemate with restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas.

For now, including cap holds, Brooklyn has $28.1MM in available cap room, per Gozlan. Although Brooklyn has agreed to new deals with its own free agents, wing Ziaire Williams and center Day’Ron Sharpe, the agreements are not yet official.

Noting that those signings have been held up as Brooklyn looks into potential trades using its cap real estate, Gozlan proceeds to detail the mechanisms available to the Nets to bring back one or both players — and how a new Thomas contract could complicate matters.

At most, Brooklyn can only have $15,464,700 in cap room when the season hits, so one way or another, more money will be on the books for the Nets soon. How the team navigates these deals remains to be seen.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Although the Nets and Thomas appear to be far apart as their contract talks drag on, The New York Post’s Brian Lewis (subscriber link) submits strategies for the two sides hashing things out before the season. Lewis notes that, beyond agreeing to the offer Brooklyn has put on the table, Thomas could also decide to accept his qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer. Lewis consulted with plugged-in sources about the advice they would give Thomas about the situation, if asked.
Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe received some words of wisdom prior to last month’s draft, from a very veteran source. The Baylor alum explained on new teammate Paul George‘s “Podcast P” show (YouTube video link) that Dallas sharpshooter Klay Thompson offered him some solid insights about the NBA. “Enjoy the journey,” Edgecome said Thompson told him (hat tip to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal for the transcription). “He was like, ‘You’re gonna win championships and all that, but draft night? That’s the best time. You only do that once.’”
The Knicks have enjoyed an eventful offseason so far, having brought in former two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown to replace the recently exiled Tom Thibodeau, and added vets Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson to round out their bench depth. But there’s still business to attend to. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes that signing All-Defensive forward Mikal Bridges to a new contract extension headlines three key items that should be on the Knicks’ remaining offseason agenda. Since the end of the playoffs, the 6’6″ swingman has been eligible for a deal that could be worth, at most, $156MM over four seasons.

Nets, Ziaire Williams Agree To Two-Year Deal

June 30th, 2025 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent wing Ziaire Williams has agreed to sign a two-year, $12MM contract to remain with the Nets, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). According to Charania, the second year of the deal will be a team option.

Williams, a former No. 10 overall pick who was acquired from Memphis in a trade last offseason, averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts) for Brooklyn in 2024/25.

While his 34.1% three-point percentage wasn’t great for a wing, it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off impressive defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch.

The Nets opted against tendering Williams an $8.35MM qualifying offer that would have made him a restricted free agent, but that was more about their cap management than their level of interest in a new deal with the 23-year-old. As an RFA, he would have had a cap hold exceeding $18MM, cutting into Brooklyn’s projected cap space in free agency.

Now, the Nets will just have to earmark a small portion of cap room (likely between $5-6MM, based on the terms reported by Charania) to bring back Williams. The team could also fit his new contract into the $8.8MM room exception.

The second-year team option will also give Brooklyn some flexibility next offseason, though it’s still to be determined whether the club intends to open up significant cap room again in 2026.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal that includes a second-year team option typically has the right to veto a trade during the following season. However, a player can agree to give up that right as part of the contract negotiation. It’s not yet known whether Williams will do so.

In the wake of Sunday’s player and team option decisions, Williams had moved up to No. 43 on our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents.

Nets Make Cam Thomas RFA; No QOs For Ziaire WIlliams, Day’Ron Sharpe

June 29th, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have issued a qualifying offer to guard Cam Thomas, making him a restricted free agent, but have opted to pass on QOs for swingman Ziaire Williams and big man Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (all Twitter links).

Brooklyn would still like to work out new deals with Williams and Sharpe, Scotto explains, but tendering them qualifying offers would’ve cut into the team’s cap room, since Williams would have had a cap hold of over $18MM while Sharpe’s would have been nearly $12MM.

Thomas, on the other hand, seems like a good candidate to command a starting salary higher than his $12.1MM cap hold, so giving him a qualifying offer shouldn’t affect Brooklyn’s cap room and will reduce his potential flight risk. As long as they keep that qualifying offer in place and Thomas’ $12.1MM cap hold on their books, the Nets will be able to go over the cap to sign him to a more lucrative deal using his Bird rights, once their cap room has been used up.

Thomas was limited to just 25 appearances in 2024/25 due to hamstring injuries, but continued to show off an elite scoring ability when healthy, averaging a career-high 24.0 points and 3.8 assists per game. His qualifying offer is worth just shy of $6MM.

Williams, who was acquired from Memphis in a trade last offseason, averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game across 63 outings (45 starts). His .341 3PT% wasn’t great, but it was a noticeable step up from the 30.1% mark he posted in his first three NBA seasons, and he showed off his defensive versatility, even handling center duties in a pinch. His QO would have been worth $8.35MM.

Sharpe, who has battled some injuries since entering the league, averaged 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per night (50 games) in 2024/25. A Nets team that finished the season with a 26-56 record and a -7.3 net rating outscored its opponents by 2.1 points per 100 possessions when Sharpe was playing, which was – by far – the best mark of any rotation player who finished the season on Brooklyn’s roster. His QO would have been worth $5.98MM.

Although the Nets have interest in retaining Williams and Sharpe, passing on their qualifying offers means they will be unrestricted free agents and Brooklyn will no longer have the right of first refusal if they want to sign with another club.

Re-Signing Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe Will Be Priorities For Nets

April 16th, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Whether the Nets decide to continue rebuilding or pursue a star, a priority for this summer will be re-signing Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required).

Both players were first-round picks in 2021, and they’ve become part of Brooklyn’s foundation during their four NBA seasons. Neither of them reached an extension prior to the deadline last fall, so they’ll both be restricted free agents if the Nets extend qualifying offers.

General manager Sean Marks talked to Lewis about the importance of hanging on to players that the organization has developed.

“It’s always great when you are able to draft somebody like those two specifically, and then they get this opportunity to [decide]: Are they going to sign their second contract with us?” Marks said. “So, I look forward to the summer, and look forward to those conversations with their agents, and we’ll see where it all plays out. But I do think it’s important to be able to keep your homegrown talent.”

Thomas, a 23-year-old shooting guard, established himself as a dynamic scorer during a breakout 2023/24 season, averaging 22.5 PPG in 66 games while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range. He increased his scoring averaging to 24 PPG this season and handed out a career-best 3.8 assists per night, but he was limited to 25 games because of a series of hamstring injuries and didn’t play after March 13.

“When I was available, I thought I had a great season when I was able to play,” Thomas said. “Obviously, I’d love to be playing more, but sometimes, that’s just how the cards are dealt. Hungry and ready to get back to playing so this never happens again. … I feel really good, way better than I was. Rehab is going real good, feeling real good. Going into the offseason, feeling good is positive.”

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan told Lewis that Thomas can expect a new contract similar to Collin Sexton‘s, but “adjusted for inflation.” Sexton signed a four-year, $70MM deal with Utah in 2022. Lewis talked to another source who expects Thomas’ annual salary to fall in the range of $20MM to $22MM.

Sharpe isn’t expected to be as costly, with Lewis citing a Spotrac projection that has him re-signing with the Nets at $30MM over three years. The 23-year-old big man has been a reliable reserve during his time in Brooklyn and posted career highs this season with 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 50 games.

“I’m new to this so whatever happens, happens,” Sharpe said. “But I like Brooklyn, so God willing, [I’ll be back].”

Lewis points out that Thomas and Sharpe are among numerous personnel decisions Marks will face this offseason. Ziaire Williams, Tyson Etienne and Reece Beekman can also be made restricted free agents by giving them qualifying offers. In addition, De’Anthony Melton and Trendon Watford will be unrestricted free agents, and Lewis doesn’t expect the club to keep Melton, who was out for the year with a torn ACL when he was acquired from Golden State in December.

Brooklyn holds team options on Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Drew Timme and Jalen Wilson.

Nets Notes: Beekman, Timme, Williams, Lottery

April 8th, 2025 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Reece Beekman is the latest young player to get a shot a major minutes for the Nets, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

The 23-year-old rookie hadn’t appeared in seven of the previous eight games leading up to Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota, when he played 18 minutes off the bench, then received his first career start in Sunday’s loss to Toronto. The 6’1″ point guard finished with 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes.

“First, it’s a blessing for this to be my first year and have a start in the NBA; that doesn’t happen a lot. So I’m just blessed to be in this opportunity,” said Beekman, who is on a two-way contract with Brooklyn. “But it just took time to settle in. It’s a fast-paced game. I’m still learning in my first year. So, just learning different spots on the court, learning where to be effective and just try to make a mark on both ends of floor.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Rookie big man Drew Timme also got his first career start Sunday, Lewis writes in another story for The New York Post. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has been pleased thus far with Timme, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract at the end of March. “Yeah he’s been very good. Like again he connected with his teammates right away,” Fernandez said. “He fits in, his personality and his game. … So very happy with him. But not just the production. Sometimes the ball’s going to go in, sometimes it’s not going to go in. But his intentions, how good of a teammate he is. He comes in and works every day. So I’m very happy with Drew.”
In a subscriber-only story, Lewis details how Ziaire Williams has become a regular contributor for Brooklyn, averaging 10.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 61 appearances, including 43 starts (24.7 MPG). Williams will be a restricted free agent this summer if he’s tendered a qualifying offer (he’ll be unrestricted if he doesn’t get a QO).
Sunday’s matchup with Toronto had lottery implications, and the loss means that the Nets are now 3.5 games “ahead” of the Raptors in the reverse standings with four games left on their schedule, as Lewis relays. Brooklyn will likely finish with the sixth-worst record entering the 2025 draft lottery, with a 37.2% chance of landing a top-four pick, per Tankathon.

Nets Notes: Williams, Giannis, Fernandez, Timme

April 3rd, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending three years in Memphis, Ziaire Williams was traded to Brooklyn last summer in part because he hadn’t improved as a shooter, having converted just 30.1% of his three-point attempts through his first 150 regular season games, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required).

But the Nets wing has made some progress in that department this season — since returning from a month-long injury absence at the start of January, Williams has knocked down 35.7% of 227 total attempts from beyond the arc (5.8 per game).

“When you see the fruits of your labor paying off, it always does help and feels a little good. So, just trying to trust my work,” Williams said. “Really just rhythm. Rhythm and just staying on track, shooting straight line drive every time. But the main thing is shooting the same shot, not really focus on the result and not worrying about feet and legs and arms, just focusing … and shooting the same. That’s really about it.”

Defense has never been an issue for Williams, whose length and versatility make him an asset on that end of the court. So if teams view his increased three-point shooting percentage as sustainable, it would bode well for him when he reaches the free agent market this summer, Lewis observes.

“I mean, I’d be lying if I told you the thought wasn’t there,” Williams acknowledged. “But it’s not something I really trip over. I try not to just (focus on it). I try just to play winning basketball, man: shoot when I’m open, pass when it needs to be passed. I just play my hardest, man. I know my agent and my representatives — and more importantly God — they’ll take care of all of that. So, I’m just enjoying the (game), just being in the moment, being where my feet are. And then, when that time comes, then I’ll get a little bit more happy about it.”

We have more on the Nets:

Within a preview of Brooklyn’s potential offseason roster decision, Lewis reiterates in another subscriber-only New York Post article that acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be “Plan A” for the Nets. This is hardly the first time Lewis has reported the Nets’ interest in the Bucks star, which has been confirmed by other outlets, but the idea of Brooklyn acquiring Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee doesn’t appear any more viable now than it did then — perhaps that will change if the Bucks are once again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
After reacquiring control of their 2025 first-round pick last offseason and then trading away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith early in the season, the Nets appeared primed to tank hard. However, the year hasn’t exactly played out that way. Lewis of the New York Post and Net Income of Nets Daily take a look at how Nets players and head coach Jordi Fernandez have resisted tanking all season long and appear likely to end up in the middle of the pack in the draft lottery standings.
Fernandez recently spoke to Brandon Robinson of ScoopB.com about how his PhD in sports psychology influences his approach to coaching and the role that mental health plays in a team’s success.
It took Drew Timme until near the end of his second professional season to get a look at the NBA level, but he’s making the most of his opportunity, averaging 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his first three outings as a Net and impressing his veteran teammates in the process, according to Lewis (subscription required). “A young guy who knows how to play, I think you stick in this league, as simple as that,” Nets guard D’Angelo Russell said of Timme. “He knows how to play basketball.”
In case you missed it, the Nets issued a series of injury updates on Wednesday, including announcing that Noah Clowney‘s season is over due to a right ankle sprain.

Checking In On Starter Criteria, Traded Draft Picks, Mavs’ Two-Ways, More

March 31st, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The months on the calendar between the NBA's in-season trade deadline and the start of the offseason represent the only time of year in which teams aren't permitted to make trades.

Still, while the possibility of Shams Charania dropping shocking trade news in the middle of the night is off the table during this final stretch of the regular season, there's plenty going on around the league that will impact future roster decisions and trade talks.

We're checking in on a few of those subplots today. Let's dive right in...

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