Ziaire Williams

Nets, Ziaire Williams Agree To Two-Year Deal

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

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

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

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

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

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...

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

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And-Ones: Award Races, Summer Flight Risks, BRI, RFAs

As we relayed on Wednesday, Warriors forward Draymond Green took over this week as the new betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year honors, surpassing Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley.

Mobley’s teammates and head coach disagree that Green should be considered the frontrunner and Zach Harper of The Athletic sides with the Cavs’ contingent, placing Mobley ahead of Green (and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels) on his hypothetical ballot in his latest look at this season’s award races.

With just over two weeks left in the 2024/25 season, Harper currently has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Nikola Jokic in the MVP race, Stephon Castle ahead of Jaylen Wells for Rookie of the Year, Payton Pritchard ahead of Malik Beasley for Sixth Man of the Year, Kenny Atkinson over J.B. Bickerstaff for Coach of the Year, and Cade Cunningham over Mobley for Most Improved Player.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report runs through all 30 NBA teams and predicts their most likely flight risk in 2025 free agency. In some cases – like Seth Curry in Charlotte or Dalano Banton in Portland – the player in question has a relatively modest role, but others – such as Ty Jerome in Cleveland or Russell Westbrook in Denver – have been important contributors. Of course, a handful of clubs have stars or high-level starters to worry about, including Indiana with Myles Turner and the Clippers with James Harden.
  • In a free article for his Substack, Pincus shares some highlights from the NBA’s recent memo to teams, including the fact that players – who have 10% of their salaries put into escrow each season – are only on track to get a very small percentage of that money back in order to balance the basketball-related income split between players and teams. In other words, Pincus writes, a player with a $10MM cap hit for 2024/25, is only projected to actually earn about $9.1MM.
  • What sort of contracts will this season’s restricted free agents sign? Keith Smith of Spotrac digs into that question, making predictions ranging from nine-figure deals for Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, and Sixers wing Quentin Grimes to minimum-salary contracts (and no qualifying offers) for players like Pacers center Isaiah Jackson and Nets wing Ziaire Williams.

Nets Notes: Tsai, Johnson, Thomas, Free Agency, Sharpe

While his team is in tank mode this season, Nets owner Joe Tsai says his commitment to winning hasn’t wavered, NetsDaily.com relays.

“For a sports owner, the return season after season is winning. Every season, you’re trying to win the championship, so you want to win games, right?” Tsai said at a CNBC conference in Singapore (hat tip to Sports Illustrated’s Wilko Martinez Cachero). “You’re not looking at the income statement of the team from season-to-season, so I guess the final payoff for me is less financial — even though the financial aspects are important, I have to make sure that the bottom line investment can make sense — but at the end of the day, it’s through the love of sports. I have a passion for sports. That’s why I invested in these teams.”

Tsai holds a 3% interest in the Miami Dolphins, but he’s not looking to become a majority owner in the NFL until he delivers in Brooklyn, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“No, I still don’t feel like I’m an NFL owner,” Tsai said. “I’ve got to take care of the Brooklyn Nets first, which means you need to win first in the sport that you’re already involved in. So you’ve got to take care of business here.”

We have more on the Nets:

  • Cameron Johnson was considered a prime trade candidate before February’s deadline. He remained on the roster and feels responsible for making his younger teammates better, he told Lewis. “It’s not like I’m out there barking at them every day about this, about that. But anytime I can help them, or seen something that I’ve been through that I see they’re going through, I try to help,” Johnson said. “And [we have] a good group of guys willing to listen, willing to compete. Maybe our record isn’t what we want it to be, but we’re in a lot of these games because we compete at a high level, we play hard. And that’s a starting point.”
  • The trade rumors regarding Johnson could crop up again in the offseason and the Nets have numerous other decisions to make with the current roster, Lewis writes in a subscriber-only article for The Post. Cam Thomas, who won’t play again this season due to a hamstring injury, is due to become a restricted free agent if the team extends a qualifying offer. Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams are also eligible for restricted free agency, while Maxwell Lewis has a partially guaranteed deal and Trendon Watford will be an unrestricted free agent.
  • Sharpe won’t play against Toronto on Wednesday due to a right knee sprain, Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com tweets. Johnson will also sit out as the coaching staff will rest him.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Sharpe, D-Lo, Clowney, Williams, Draft Picks

After missing nearly two months due to a left hamstring strain, the Nets‘ leading scorer, Cam Thomas, returned to action on Friday and had what he called a “decent first game back,” scoring 16 points in 21 minutes, Brian Lewis writes for The New York Post.

“Obviously, missed some shots I normally make when I’m in rhythm and playing, but it’s just the nature of being on for a while and coming back and playing first game,” said Thomas, who was 7-of-17 from the floor in the 19-point loss to Portland. “So shots, not really worried about that; that’s going to come. But it feels good to finally finish a game and have no pain. So that’s the main thing I’m pleased with. So just got to keep building and keep going.”

Thomas will be held out of the second game of Brooklyn’s back-to-back on Saturday in Detroit due to hamstring injury management, tweets Lewis. Trendon Watford, who missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury of his own, will be inactive with the same designation.

Here’s more on the Nets:

  • Day’Ron Sharpe, who will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end, returned to the second unit on Friday but was excellent in his first start of the season on Wednesday, racking up 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks vs. Oklahoma City. He was a +20 in 31 minutes in a game Brooklyn lost by eight points. “I’m just a beast on them boards. I don’t really think nobody can mess with me in the paint when it comes to that,” Sharpe said, according to Lewis. “Like I tell y’all every time, no matter how big, no matter how tall, its just what I do. You know what I’m saying? You’re gonna have to send three people to box me out. But I just play hard.”
  • D’Angelo Russell (right ankle sprain) and Noah Clowney (left ankle sprain) will remain on the shelf for Saturday’s game, which will be Russell’s fifth straight absence and a 13th consecutive missed game for Clowney. However, head coach Jordi Fernandez says both players are doing “great” and should resume practicing soon, Lewis writes for The Post. “We’ll probably talk about having them on the court at some point next week,” Fernandez said. “They’re progressing well, they’re around the group and they’ve been [helpful]. They’re great energy when we have them around. We need their presence. It’s good, because it seems like if everything goes well next week we’ll see where they’re at, and just try to keep working on that and have them get some contact and have them back on the court.”
  • Ziaire Williams, who had averaged 29.2 minutes per night in Brooklyn’s last 11 games entering Friday, played just 10:28 against Portland and wasn’t sure why, according to Lewis. Asked after the game if Fernandez, who has been encouraging Williams to shoot more three-pointers, pulled him early due to his unwillingness to pull the trigger more often, Williams replied, “Y’all know better than me, man. I got no idea.”
  • No team has more tradable first-round picks than the Nets, as RealGM details. Net Income of NetsDaily takes a closer look at what that means for the organization.

Josh Giddey Is Only 2025 RFA To Meet Starter Criteria So Far

When a player on an expiring contract is eligible for restricted free agency, his qualifying offer is determined in part by whether or not he met the “starter criteria” during the season – or two seasons – leading up to his free agency. As we explain in our glossary entry, a player meets the starter criteria when he achieves one of the following:

  • He plays at least 2,000 minutes or starts 41 games in the season before he reaches free agency.
  • He averages either 2,000 minutes or 41 starts in the two seasons prior to his restricted free agency.

If a top-14 pick coming to the end of his rookie contract fails to meet the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer declines. Conversely a player who was drafted at No. 10 or later or who went undrafted altogether can increase the value of his qualifying offer by meeting the starter criteria.

In many cases, an increase or decrease to a qualifying offer won’t materially affect the player’s restricted free agency, since a QO is just a one-year contract offer issued in order for the team to retain its right of first refusal. The player has the option of accepting it, but in most cases it functions as a placeholder until the RFA signs an offer sheet with a rival team or negotiates a new multiyear contract with his current team.

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, for example, will likely sign a lucrative long-term deal when he reaches free agency this summer, so it won’t matter all that much if he falls short of the starter criteria and his QO drops from the standard amount of $10,240,287 to $7,976,830.

But for a player who is less likely to secure a significant payday but still a good bet to receive a qualifying offer, a difference of a few million dollars between potential QOs could have a major impact on how his free agency plays out. That difference may affect how willing a team is to put the qualifying offer on the table and how likely the player is to simply accept it.

With all that in mind, it’s worth checking in on which potential 2025 restricted free agents have actually met the starter criteria so far this season and which ones are on track to do so. The first list is a short one: Bulls guard Josh Giddey is the only player to meet the starter criteria so far.

Giddey had a huge head-start because he made 80 starts for Oklahoma City in 2023/24, meaning he just needed to make two starts this season in order to achieve an average of 41 for the past two seasons. He made his second start for the Bulls way back on October 25, which means his qualifying offer this summer will be $11,142,057 instead of dropping to $7,976,830.

None of the 10 other potential restricted free agents have met the starter criteria though. Of those players, the following three were lottery picks, with their default qualifying offers noted in parentheses:

  1. Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors ($10,240,287)
  2. Davion Mitchell, Heat ($8,741,210)
  3. Ziaire Williams, Nets ($8,353,153)

Kuminga has only started 10 games this season and will fall short of the starter criteria, which will bump his QO down to $7,976,830. Mitchell and Williams still have a chance to get there though — Mitchell has 28 starts under his belt, while Williams has 26. They both need to reach 41 to achieve the starter criteria, and they’ve been regular starters for their respective teams as of late. If they hang onto their starting jobs and stay healthy, they’ll surpass 41 starts.

Again, Kuminga’s free agency is unlikely to be affected by his smaller qualifying offer, since his offer will likely just serve as a placeholder and a last-resort fallback option. Maybe the Nets will be slightly less inclined to give Williams a qualifying offer if it’s worth $8.35MM instead of $7.98MM, but that’s such a small gap that it’s unlikely to affect the team’s QO decision either way. The same goes for Mitchell and the Heat.

The other seven players on expiring contracts who are eligible for restricted free agency are Cam Thomas (Nets), Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Quentin Grimes (Sixers), Tre Mann (Hornets), Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets), and Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers). Jaden Springer, Chris Duarte, and Bones Hyland were also part of this group before being waived this month.

Of those players, only Thomas has a realistic chance of meeting the starter criteria. He started 51 games last season, which means he needs to get to 31 this season. He’s at 17 and the Nets have 25 left to play. If Thomas can return from his hamstring strain relatively soon, which seems likely, he has a good shot at starting 14 games and reaching the necessary threshold. That would increase his QO from $5,993,172 to $8,741,210.

The others will remain eligible for their standard QOs, based on draft position (or their prior salary, in Walker’s case), as follows:

  1. Tre Mann, Hornets ($6,964,982)
  2. Isaiah Jackson, Pacers ($6,422,431)
  3. Quentin Grimes, Sixers ($6,311,825)
  4. Day’Ron Sharpe, Nets ($5,983,683)
  5. Santi Aldama, Grizzlies ($5,940,797)
  6. Jabari Walker, Trail Blazers ($2,524,624)