The Memphis Grizzlies could be trying to part ways with a former lottery pick. The Grizzlies have been discussing deals to move forward Ziaire Williams, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Williams, the 10th overall pick in 2021, has spent his first three seasons with the Grizzlies. That stretch has been loaded with injuries and on-court issues that have resulted in him going from playing starter minutes to being sent down to the G League Memphis Hustle.
After shooting 45% as a rookie, Williams shot a career low 39.7% in his third season while playing 51 games for the Grizzlies. The lengthy forward's defensive upside has been a critical piece of his playing time, but his scoring prowess hasn't seen much progression so far.
Williams will have a cap hit of $6.1 million this season before heading into restricted free agency next offseason. If the Grizzlies re-sign guard Luke Kennard, they will become a tax-paying team that is close to the first apron.
Moving off of Williams potentially makes sense for the Grizzlies. They currently have a logjam on the wing that was only made worse when the team drafted forward Jaylen Wells in the 2024 NBA draft and signed him to a standard contract. Between Williams, Wells, John Konchar, Desmond Bane, Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson and Jake LaRavia, there won't be enough minutes to go around.
Zaire Williams has yet to reach potential with Grizzlies
When the Grizzlies selected Ziaire Williams 10th overall in 2021, they were originally slated to pick 17th. Memphis moved up by sending center Jonas Valanciunas and 2021 draft picks (No. 17 and No. 51) to the Pelicans for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe and 2021 picks (No. 10 and No. 40) along with a top-10 protected 2022 first-round pick.
“I love the energy that the whole organization has from the front office to the players and coaches,” Williams said at the time. “I feel I could fit perfectly as a locker room guy and rookie just learning and developing. This is the perfect organization for me.”
Williams was a McDonald’s All-American. In his lone season at Stanford, the 6-foot-8 and 185-pound Williams averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 20 games. Williams shot 37.1%, including 29.1% on 3-pointers.
In his college debut against Alabama in the Maui Classic, he scored 19 points, but only surpassed 15 points in five of the team’s remaining 19 games. Despite the modest production, Williams recorded the second triple-double in Stanford history against Washington. He started 14 of 20 games.
While at Sierra Canyon High School in California, he was named to the United States team for the FIBA Under-19 World Championships. He averaged 4.6 points for the U.S. team, which earned the gold medal. As a senior at Sierra Canyon, Williams averaged 15 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
No word on what the Grizzlies are looking for in exchange for Williams, though an additional big man or cap relief are still needs for the team.
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