Nets Renounce Rights to Some Interesting Names to Re-Sign Ziaire Williams

The Brooklyn Nets have made several key retentions this offseason. Head coach Jordi Fernandez needs continuity to flush out his vision for the team's identity, and on the defensive end, it all starts with Ziaire Williams.

Acquired via salary dump from the Memphis Grizzlies last summer, Williams was one of Brooklyn's lone bright spots in 2024-25. That's why it was strange when the Nets didn't extend him the qualifying offer, but in hindsight, they did so just to keep cap flexibility and planned to bring back Williams from the start.

However, declining to make Williams a restricted free agent just to sign him to a two-year, $12 million deal isn't even the strangest aspect of the transaction. Take a look at some of the names Brooklyn renounced their rights on to pave the way for the Williams signing, per Spotrac's Keith Smith.

"As part of the process to complete their offseason moves, the Brooklyn Nets renounced FA rights for LaMarcus Aldridge, Wilson Chandler, Mike James, De'Anthony Melton, Dennis Smith Jr and Ziaire Williams," Smith posted to X on Tuesday. "Brooklyn will re-sign Williams with either cap space or the Room Exception."

Don't reach for your eyeglass cleaner. You read that right. The Nets renounced their rights on LaMarcus Aldridge, Wilson Chandler, Mike James and Dennis Smith Jr.

Smith most recently played in the NBA with Brooklyn during the 2023-24 campaign, so his inclusion isn't all that abnormal. But for the rest? Aldridge has been retired for the last two years, Chandler hasn't suited up for the Nets in five years, and James only spent one season (2021) with the franchise.

Obviously, none of these guys have held a presence on Brooklyn's payroll in quite some time, but it's still very jarring to see who the Nets had to renounce to allow for Williams' signing. What's next? Will Brooklyn be forced to renounce the rights on Mirza Teletovic to make Day'Ron Sharpe's new deal official? Okay, that one was a joke—don't take it too seriously.

Smith's report just re-emphasizes how, sometimes in the modern NBA, if you want to get something done, there may be some weird road blocks in your way.