The Los Angeles Lakers are in search of athletic wing defenders this offseason, and one of them is now hitting the market. The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly declined Ziaire Williams’ $6.25 million team option for 2026-27, and The Athletic’s Dan Woike has heard the Lakers could go after him.
“According to a league source, one player the Lakers could take a look at in free agency is Brooklyn small forward Zaire Williams, who had his team option declined by the Nets on Sunday,” Woike wrote. “The Lakers have desires to get younger and more athletic on the wing, and Williams is coming off back-to-back seasons in Brooklyn where he averaged more than 10 points and shot better than 34 percent from 3-point range.”
As Woike pointed out, Williams has had a couple of good seasons since the Nets acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024. In 2025-26, the 24-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game, and shot 34.3% from three.
It was the New York Post’s Brian Lewis who broke the news about the Nets declining Williams’ option on Sunday. They could still look to bring him back, but it looks like they will face competition from the Lakers for his services if they do.
“The bet for the Lakers would be that at 6-9 with a nearly 40-inch vertical leap, that Williams could be an impact defensive player with room for growth on the offensive side of the ball,” Woike wrote. “He has fans inside the Lakers’ facility. There are local connections too — Williams was a teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon.”
Now, Williams isn’t a lockdown perimeter defender, but he is better on that end of the floor than most of the wings the Lakers had last season. He has also shown improvement on the offensive end since he became a Net, and Luka Doncic will only make his life that much easier on the court.
Williams wouldn’t move the needle for the Lakers, but he’d be a solid piece to have next to Doncic and Austin Reaves, who has agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal. Athletic wings who can defend and shoot the three are what that duo needs.
To go with Williams, the Lakers were also recently linked to Dean Wade and Jock Landale. These would be solid pickups, but you’d imagine the fanbase wouldn’t be jumping for joy if they landed any of them.
Lakers fans would want bigger names, and the team is said to be interested in Peyton Watson. Watson is a restricted free agent, though, so the Denver Nuggets could match any offer on the table. It will take a deal in the $30 million a year range for the Nuggets to balk at re-signing him. Watson would be a terrific addition to the Lakers, but would it be wise to give him that big a deal? Maybe not.
It will be very interesting to see who the Lakers manage to land once free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET. As for their own free agents, they have managed to retain Reaves, but there isn’t much clarity regarding the likes of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. This roster could look very different next season compared to last.
