NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams is heading into his fifth season in the NBA after proving himself last season during somewhat of a “make-of-break” year for his career. Williams not only went on to have the best season of his career, but he was rewarded with a two-year, $12.5 million deal to return to Brooklyn, giving him a great summer to reflect on.
“It was cool, man. I mean, you know, we had some good moments, had bad moments, but you know, it’s all about enjoying the process and enjoying the journey,” Williams said following Wednesday’s training camp practice. Williams comes back to a Nets team that has plenty of depth at the small forward spot, but he is just focused on basking in the light of knowing that Brooklyn is where he wants to be moving forward.
“So I definitely had fun, I definitely feel like this is a home for me. And, you know, I’m just trying to keep building on it,” Williams continued before explaining what he is looking to show this season that fans haven’t seen from him before. “Just be a playmaker. Wherever I’m at on the court, be a threat, whether it’s going downhill, you know, play-making for another guy, just being a threat at all times.”
Williams, 24, is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he 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. Williams saw career-highs across the board except for field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage as head coach Jordi Fernandez valued the former Stanford Cardinal defensive ability.
Williams had an individual defensive rating of 114.4 and of players who averaged at least 24.5 minutes per game, he is on par with players like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Atlanta Hawks defensive stalwart Dyson Daniels. Williams has already shown his ability to defend on the perimeter and shoot the ball from behind the three-point line, but he still has his eyes on improving other parts of his game after a huge summer for his career.