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Who is Nate Williams? LA Lakers take a chance with former undrafted guard

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have made a key announcement ahead of the 2025 NBA Media Day.

With the NBA Training Camp closer than ever, the Los Angeles Lakers have made some adjustments to their 15-man roster.

The organization has decided to cut Eric Dixon and Tevian Jones in favor of Anton Watson and Nate Williams. Dixon was ready to dominate with the Lakers, but that dream would remain unfulfilled.

Putting that aside, let’s get to know who Williams is, the Lakers’ newest signing, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team.

Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images

Nate Williams’ NBA career

Nate Williams a.k.a. Jeenathan Williams already has three years of NBA experience under his belt ahead of the 2025-26 season.

It’s a notable feat, since Williams went undrafted during the 2022 NBA Draft and joined the Utah Jazz for training camp.

He made his debut with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023, but the stint lasted just five games. He then joined the Houston Rockets and spent two years with the franchise before getting waived.

Overall, the 6’5″, 205 lbs shooting guard has played in 47 games in the league, averaging 3.9 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game while shooting a solid 51.7% from the field.

With the Lakers only having one two-way slot open ahead of the 2025-26 season, Williams has a shot at clinching it during training camp.

Nate Williams’ NCAA and G League career

While the 26-year-old has barely had any NBA experience, he enjoyed a solid spell with the Buffalo Bulls in the NCAA.

After all, Williams averaged 12.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for the Bulls while shooting 46.7% from the field.

Stats	Freshman (2018-19)	Sophomore (2019-20)	Junior (2020-21)	Senior (2021-22)
Points	3.2 PPG	11.6 PPG	17.6 PPG	19.1 PPG
Rebounds	1.7 RPG	4.7 RPG	6.8 RPG	5.0 RPG
Assists	0.2 APG	1.2 APG	2.4 APG	2.9 APG

While Williams was in and out of the NBA, he played in the G League as well. So far, Williams has a total of 49 G League games under his belt.

During those appearances, Williams has averaged 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He has also shot a respectable 50.7% from the floor.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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