Ziaire Williams was a buy-low signing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he possesses the capabilities to be a talented 3-and-D player. And there is no better way to showcase his skills than back home in California.

Williams attended Sierra Canyon High School, where he was teammates with a young freshman named Bronny James. Originally from Lancaster, the 24-year-old forward is excited to reunite with James in Los Angeles to hopefully win on a bigger stage.

“It’s going to be fun playing with Bronny again,” Williams said on the Lakers YouTube channel. “We grew a lot together at Sierra Canyon and we’ve been friends ever since. So, it’s been cool to see him make it to the big leagues and keep progressing, keep getting better and I’m excited to be back on his team again.”

Team chemistry obviously plays a massive factor in winning basketball games, but it is also nice to have familiarity when entering a new situation. For Williams, he is set to play for his third organization, but he gets to return home for the first time.

Williams and James both have something to prove this season as they look to show they can contribute to championship-caliber basketball. Williams showed flashes of it during his first three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and more recently with the Brooklyn Nets, while James saw spot minutes in the first round of the playoffs for L.A. last year.

The goal of the Lakers’ offseason was to bring in younger talent amid LeBron James’ departure. There are intriguing players on the team and hopefully, all these new pieces fit together to kick off this new era for the Lakers.

Ziaire Williams: ‘super surreal’ to be playing for hometown Lakers

When Williams was let go by the Nets, he quickly became a target for the Lakers in free agency. Los Angeles lacked quality talent on the wing, specifically fitting that 3-and-D archetype.

Through five seasons, Williams has shown he can be a positive perimeter defender despite his slim stature. In addition, he needs to become a more consistent spacer as a 3-point shooter, but he looks forward to playing for his hometown team.

“Seeing my name on the Lakers jersey was super surreal, a blessing,” Williams said in a Get to Know interview on Lakers YouTube. “I can’t even explain it into words I’m just so excited to be back home, playing in front of the fans, my family and I never would’ve imagined this day would come true. 8-year old me is doing backflips right now. It’s crazy, I just can’t wait to play a real game. I’m ready to play right now.”

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