NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams was once a free-agent this summer who had the possibility of signing with another team following the best season of his career. Williams re-signed with Brooklyn on a two-year, $12.5 million deal with a team option in the second year while also waiving his implied no-trade clause and he explained why he came back to the Nets.
“The the first time going through free-agency and negotiation is definitely an interesting thing to go through. I don’t know what I was expecting as far as time,” Williams said during Media Day last week. Williams was one of the many players that took the floor for head coach Jordi Fernandez last season that experienced significant improvements across the board in terms of statistics.
“It took a while, but we figured something out and [I’m] just happy to be back,” Williams continued. “Man, I mean, it was a collective effort. Just the coaches giving me confidence, having great teammates. I felt comfortable here when I got traded from day one. I’m definitely happy to be back and I’m confident that this is a place where I could continue to have a great career.”
Williams, 24, averaged 10.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 34.1% from three-point land in 63 games played for the Nets last season. Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, Williams, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, spent his first three seasons in the league playing for the Memphis Grizzlies before the franchise decided to move on from him last offseason via trade.
Last season under Fernandez, Williams averaged per game career-highs in points, rebounds, steals, and three-point shooting percentage while also showing growth as a perimeter defender. While Williams is effectively on a one-year deal with Brooklyn, the former Stanford Cardinal is happy to be back with the Nets and is ultimately looking forward to making good on his new contract.