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Ziaire Williams was an afterthought among the Brooklyn Nets' offseason transactions. After blockbuster trades with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets, the Nets acquired the 24-year-old and a second-round pick in a salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Williams' poor three-point shooting held him back after the Grizzlies selected him 10th overall in the 2021 draft. However, he's improved with the Nets, shooting 34 percent from deep on 4.9 attempts per game, both career-highs. The 6-foot-9 wing's three-and-D potential could draw interest from teams in free agency.
“I mean, I'd be lying if I told you the thought wasn't there,” Williams said of his improved numbers potentially impacting his market. “But it's not something I really trip over. I try not to [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.
“I know my agent and my representatives, and more importantly, God, they’ll take care of all of that. So, I’m just enjoying this, 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.”
Williams shot 30.1 percent on 3.5 three-point attempts per game over his first three seasons with the Grizzlies.
Ziaire Williams' improved three-point stroke with Nets could impact free agency
However, the Nets forward altered his shot this season, hopping into threes instead of taking a traditional 1-2 step. That change has translated to improved efficiency on career-high volume.
“It started last year. Anthony Carter from Memphis was the first person who taught me how to hop into a shot instead of 1-2. And that’s allowed me to get a lot more momentum and flow [into my threes],” Ziaire Williams said earlier this season. “I thank god for him every day because I really feel like he honestly somewhat saved my shot… Just consistently getting that base and that momentum to flow, and I’ve just been rolling with it ever since.
“My summer trainers Joe Abunassar and Chris Johnson, and now with Connor [Griffin] and the rest of the Brooklyn Nets guys, I’ve kinda just translated that over a little bit… Just trusting my work and living with the results.”
Williams' late-season improvement has been glaring. He's shot 36.7 percent on 6.7 three-point attempts per game over his last 18 appearances.
“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,” he said. “It's really just rhythm. Rhythm and just staying on track, shooting a straight line drive every time. But the main thing is shooting the same shot, not really focusing on the result and not worrying about feet and legs and arms, just focusing … and shooting the same. That’s really about it.”
Williams could be a restricted free agent this summer. However, the Nets are expected to decline his $8.35 million qualifying offer, making him unrestricted.
Brooklyn is the NBA's only team projected to have cap space. However, most of the league will have either the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million) or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) to sign free agents.
“[Ziaire's] consistency, day-to-day work, his personality, his positive energy [have stood out],” said Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez. “Sometimes you don't see results on the court right away… But he's gotten better and is shooting better. Even if you couldn't see the numbers right away, the way that he approached coming in and working Day 1 is the same as [he's doing] right now, and he's gotten better.
He's a different player. Obviously credit to himself and the coaches and him playing the minutes he's played. And that's how we believe it's going to go through a summer of a lot of work… And then the next season. So that's why we believe in him.”
