Ziaire Williams Discusses Lakers Leadership’s Expectations, Playing With Luka Doncic, And Bronny James Reunion
· Yahoo Sports
The Lakers have added Ziaire Williams to their roster this season on a one-year, $3 million deal to add some bench depth for wings who are also lob threats. He ended the 2025-26 season averaging 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the three-point arc.
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Ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season, Williams spoke to Benjamin Royer of the OC Register and discussed several topics related to joining the Lakers.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity,” Williams said on why he chose the Lakers despite averaging a career-high in points with the Nets,
“Being that big wing, versatile player that they needed, I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be a Laker. Even if the same team was in New Orleans or Milwaukee, wherever – just the opportunity that was here and the team that they had, I just thought it was the best fit.”
“And then just being back home in L.A. is the cherry on top. Being able to play in front of my family and my friends, and I’m super excited.”
Williams said in his early conversations with JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka, they have told him that his main role is “first and foremost, being a main defender, point-of-attack defender.”
“Obviously Luka (Doncic) and AR (Austin Reaves) are going to be the main primary ball handlers,” Williams said. “So just playing off them, being able to shoot, cut, make plays in transition, stuff like that. They thought it was a great fit for me to be here, and the feeling was mutual.”
The 24-year-old Williams claimed Luka Doncic“has big kid energy, like a young, youthful spirit,” adding that he could tell how much Doncic cared about winning games but also how much he cares about his teammates.
“I can tell (Doncic’s) leadership. He wants to step up even more this year,” Williams added. “I’m excited, man. I’m really excited to play with him. And of course, when we’re playing basketball, it’s just he makes the game just so easy and looks so simple. He’s going to make my life a lot easier for sure.”
Ziaire Williams stated that the Lakers’ rowing competition on Lake Bled in Slovenia’s Julian Alps was the trip’s high point. He added that team-building activities like bowling with his teammates and touring Slovenian castles will “translate to the court.”
The majority of the team had the opportunity to play five-on-five basketball in Ljubljana, but some team members were able to get together during the summer league in Las Vegas as the team’s acquisitions gradually became official during the offseason.
But one of the key things that added the cherry on top of his cake was playing with his former teammate, Bronny James, on the Lakers.
“That’s my brother,” Ziaire Williams said. “I’m definitely grateful for that. He’s great. He’s had a great summer. He looks great right now. He’s given me a couple pointers and things about the offense and defense that JJ likes.”
Bronny James was teammates with Ziaire Williams in Sierra Canyon, and the two have now reunited on the Lakers. Williams claimed to have been practicing his shot and “finishing at the rim” a lot, and he described the workouts as a “great” preview of the upcoming season.
“We’re going to mesh really well,” Williams said near the end of the interview. “We have a bunch of guys that can do a lot of things on the court. I think we’re going to be great, man.”
“There’s a lot of motivation here and a lot of guys that are ready to prove and willing, you know, that we’re capable of playing on a winning stage. It was a lot of good runs, and there’ll be more to come,” he concluded.
We are less than two months away from the 2026-27 season tipping off. It will be very fascinating to see how Ziaire Williams finds his fit with the Lakers’ rotation.