Nets' Ziaire Williams Has Lots to Lose

Ziaire Williams is entering his first season with the Brooklyn Nets.

Oct 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets Ziaire Williams (1) rebounds the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams is getting a second chance to impress in the NBA after being traded by the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason.

Williams, 23, was a former top-10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but he has failed to live up to his pre-draft expectations coming out of Stanford. Now, he will get a chance to deliver for his new Nets team.

During the preseason, Williams saw a decent amount of action as one of the first few people off of the bench, which is a sign that his role could be similar during the regular season.

Trading for Williams was a low-risk, high-reward move for the Nets. Williams was unable to carve out a consistent role in the Grizzlies' rotation, which was filled with several players who were simply better than he was. Now in Brooklyn, Williams won't have as much attention clouded from him by other players.

This is a big year for Williams considering he is a free agent at season's end. Either he shows up for the Nets, has the best year of his career and earns an extension with Brooklyn or another team. Or he fails to deliver and flames out, which means that he may have to find a new home either in the G League or overseas.

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