23-Year-Old Forward Signs New Deal to Remain with the Nets
The Brooklyn Nets struggled this past season, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-56 record. For Brooklyn, this was the second straight season they missed the playoffs, as their roster mostly consisted of young, up-and-coming talent, who are looking to take their game to a new level. Ziaire Williams was one of those guys. The 23-year-old forward was looking to take the next steps in becoming a quality everyday NBA starter in his fourth season. Although he increased his career-high points per game from eight to 10 points a game, this past season, Williams shot a career-high from three-point range at 34 percent. As a restricted free agent heading into the off-season, it seemed unclear what the Nets' plans were for the 23-year-old forward. However, it’s been announced that Williams signed a two-year, $12 million deal to return to the Nets, as it's been reported by Shams Charania.
Williams was selected as the 10th overall pick during the 2021 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans but was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He made his first career NBA start in January 2022, recording 14 points and two steals. Nearly a month later, he dropped a then career-high of 21 points in a 120-108 win over the New York Knicks. The 23-year-old forward spent three seasons with the Grizzlies. During last year’s off-season, Williams and a second-round pick were traded to the Nets in exchange for Mamadi Diakite and Nemanja Dangubić.
This past season, Williams played 63 games with Brooklyn. In those 63 games, he started in 45 of them, averaging around 24 minutes a game. The 23-year-old forward averaged about 10 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He shot 41 percent from the field and 34 percent from downtown. On November 13th, Williams put up 23 points along with six rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block during a 139-114 loss to the Boston Celtics. With the Nets, Williams hopes to improve his all-around game and become a more quality player that Brooklyn can rely on heading into this season and the future. He has much of his career left ahead of him, and with the Nets, the team will be able to rely on him more and more as time goes on.
