Will Ziaire Williams Be A Long Term Piece for Nets after Waiving No Trade Clause?

As a rebuilding team, the Nets are in the critical years of figuring out who is a long-term piece to build around and who might be better leveraged in a trade to bring in other players.

On Sept. 8, the Brooklyn Nets officially signed forward Ziaire Williams to a two-year, $6.25 million contract, and later waived the no-trade clause that was included in his deal.

At first glance, it might seem like there’s a strong chance he could be on the move, especially since the only players who are likely off-limits are the team’s five first-round picks.

However, with Cam Thomas being the only Net holding a full no-trade clause, Williams’s decision to waive his shouldn’t be seen as anything unusual.

How Does Williams Fit into Brooklyn’s Long-Term Plans?

Williams saw the most playing time of his career last season, starting 45 games while averaging a career-high 10 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2% from the field and 34.1% from beyond the arc.

Since being drafted 10th overall back in 2021, Williams has proven his ability to be a reliable and adaptable wing defender. But beyond his defensive abilities, he has also made strides as a scorer over the past two seasons and even had his best year as a three-point shooter last season.

At just 23 years old, it’s entirely possible that Williams will continue to grow his offensive game and end up as part of the team’s long-term future rather than a trade piece.

He doesn’t need to develop into a top-tier scorer, but if he becomes an effective 3-and-D player, he could definitely be someone worth holding onto.

After failing to live up to the expectations of being a lottery pick during his first two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Williams’ approach upon arriving in Brooklyn.

“His consistency, day-to-day work, his personality, positive energy, all that," Fernandez said. "Even if you couldn’t see the numbers right away, the same way that he approached coming in and working Day 1 is the same as right now, and he’s gotten better. He’s a different player.”

Adding a star player is always intriguing, and if Williams continues to develop, he could end up being part of a trade package that lands the Nets a top-tier player.

That being said, a strong team needs reliable depth outside of their star players, and if Brooklyn ever plans to make a playoff run, having a player of Williams’ caliber could prove to be valuable.