Ziaire Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Simmons, Finney-Smith, Bogdanovic, Williams, Johnson

September 30th, 2024 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets only got 15 games from Ben Simmons last season, but he told reporters at Monday’s media day that he’s feeling good with training camp about to open, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Trainer Chris Brickley recently proclaimed that Simmons has fully overcome the back problems that have hampered him over the last three years and is ready to be an All-Star again. While Simmons didn’t make any promises, he seemed to agree with Brickley’s assessment.

“Yeah. I feel like when my body is healthy, that’s the confidence I always have, and that’s where I’m at right now,” he said. “I feel great and ready to go. … I’d have days where I’d have a tough day of playing. The next day I’d be locked up in my back. I haven’t had one of those setbacks since I’ve been back playing (over the summer).”

Simmons’ lack of availability combined with his huge contract have made him a liability in Brooklyn since he was acquired from Philadelphia in 2022. That contract is now a $40.3MM expiring deal, and Simmons understands that he has one last chance to make a positive impression before free agency next summer, Lewis adds (Twitter link).

“For me it’s important just to be healthy,” he said. “I want to play basketball I love and get the most I can out of my body. That’s the focus. The money’s nice and all that, but I want to play and play healthy.”

There’s more from Brooklyn’s media day:

After seeing Mikal Bridges get traded this summer, Dorian Finney-Smith knows there’s a strong chance he might not be with team all season, Lewis tweets. Finney-Smith holds a player option for 2025/26, and at age 31, he doesn’t fit the timeline of the rebuilding Nets. “It’s part of the business,” he said. “Nothing surprises me no more. I was with Mikal (when he got traded). There was a chance I may be moving, but all I could do was be professional and just come in ready to play.”
Bojan Bogdanovic confirmed that he hasn’t been cleared for 5-on-5 play, per Lewis (Twitter link). After undergoing offseason surgeries on his left foot and wrist, the veteran swingman said the wrist is fully healed but his foot needs more time.
Ziaire Williams is eager for a fresh start after being traded to Brooklyn in July, Lewis adds (Twitter link). The 2021 lottery pick felt like his career had stagnated in Memphis. “I feel like a loose bird let out its cage,” he said. “Some days I just felt like I was just trapped. So I definitely feel a lot more free, happy to be here.”
Cameron Johnson, who’s believed to be another strong trade candidate, has talked to general manager Sean Marks about his future with the team, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “The conversations, from my point, without going too deep into it was just letting him know that I understand the business first and foremost,” Johnson said. “For me, I said there’s never a hard feeling on anything that happens. I like Sean a lot and I appreciate Sean a lot. That won’t change if I was traded two months ago, two months from now, and if I remain a Net the rest of my career. I really appreciate Sean. After that, it’s just let me know what’s going on. I’d like to be in the loop of what can happen and what he’s thinking, and that’s that. He was very good to have that conversation with. He gave me a lot of good feedback as well.”

New York Notes: Towns Trade, Knicks, Simmons, Nets

September 29th, 2024 at 8:43am CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks are still working through the details of their blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, which has yet to be finalized. Why did they choose to go all-in on the 28-year-old big man?

For starters, president of basketball operations Leon Rose was Towns’ representative when he was the head agent at CAA, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Knicks executive William Wesley is also close with the Towns family, per Begley — clearly there’s an affinity between the two sides.

As Begley writes, the Knicks view Towns as an ideal complementary piece to their core roster, particularly on offense with Jalen Brunson. Towns’ presence should create more driving lines for Brunson and make it more difficult for opponents to trap him.

Begley confirms New York has coveted Towns for some time, but trade talks with Minnesota didn’t pick up steam until the Knicks signaled a willingness to include Donte DiVincenzo in the package. Begley isn’t sure why the Knicks changed their mind — they were opposed to dealing DiVincenzo for the majority of the offseason.

According to Begley, DiVincenzo wasn’t thrilled with the idea of playing a reduced role this season after he had a career year in 2023/24. Still, Begley doesn’t think that had much to do with New York’s decision. He speculates that Julius Randle‘s contract situation (he can be a free agent in 2025 if he declines his 2025/26 player option) and Mitchell Robinson‘s injury absence were likely bigger factors.

Here’s more on the two New York-based teams:

While all eyes will be on Towns with training camp about to begin, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post believes Mikal Bridges is the “most intriguing” player the Knicks acquired this offseason. Bondy projects a starting lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Towns, with Miles McBride likely the team’s sixth man. With major roster changes and some players coming off injuries, Bondy expects the Knicks to look sluggish in preseason.
Ben Simmons‘ health is the biggest storyline to watch for the Nets as they enter training camp, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons has appeared in just 57 of 246 regular season games over the past three seasons — including 15 in 2023/24 — and is coming off a second back surgery. However, he’s fully cleared for camp and has been one of the team’s standouts in pickup games, sources tell Lewis. Second-year big man Noah Clowney and offseason acquisition Ziaire Williams are two other players who have played well in informal games ahead of camp, Lewis adds.
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Lewis examines the other Nets storylines ahead of training camp and provides a rundown of their 20-man roster, which is one player shy of the offseason limit.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Simmons, Bogdanovic, Core, Barrett

September 27th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

Cam Thomas took a big step forward as a scorer last season, increasing his points per game from 10.6 in 2022/23 to 22.5 in ’23/24 without a significant dip in efficiency — his .554 TS% last season was only a tick below his .567 mark from the year before.

With Mikal Bridges no longer in Brooklyn, Thomas figures to take on even more offensive responsibilities in his fourth NBA season, and new Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters on Thursday that he’s looking forward to helping Thomas take on that challenge.

“Development is the No. 1 thing. For everybody, not just the young guys, but also the veterans. Everybody has to get better, there has to be a plan,” Fernandez said, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “And my conversations with Cam are ‘Can I help you be more efficient of a scorer?’ If you look at his numbers, the less he dribbles, the more efficient he is. Like, to the top of the NBA. It’s impressive.

“His superpower is to score the ball, and what we need to do is to help him do that, but in an efficient way. Same as his play-making, because he attracts so much attention, teams are going to try to blitz him, load to him, how he can kick that and create more assists. It’s on me and the rest of the coaching staff to help him, and we believe he can take that next step.”

Thomas, who is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract, is eligible to sign an extension at any time up until October 21. If he doesn’t sign a new deal by that point, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

According to Lewis, the Nets aren’t believed to have engaged in contract negotiations yet with either Thomas or Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams, who are also extension-eligible. General manager Sean Marks didn’t get into specifics when asked about the possibility of new deals for one or more of those players.

“In terms of extension talks, there are several guys on our team that we could be having those same conversations with. So we’ll certainly engage with agents and the players,” Marks said. “It’s important to always have that door open. The window will certainly close on the extension if we can’t get something done, but it’s important for those players to know we care about them, and here’s where we see them, whether the timing is right this year or if it’s next offseason from an organizational standpoint and also from their standpoint.”

We have more on the Nets:

The Nets confirmed on Thursday that Ben Simmons – who underwent back surgery earlier this year – has been cleared for the start of training camp, as his agent recently announced. However, veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic will be unavailable as he continues to recover after undergoing offseason surgeries on his left foot and wrist, Lewis writes for The New York Post. Although Bogdanovic was essentially just a salary-matching piece in the Bridges trade with the Knicks, he’s not believed to have had any discussions with Brooklyn about a buyout, Lewis notes.
Making sure Simmons is fully healthy will be the Nets’ top priority for the former No. 1 overall pick, new head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Thursday, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. As long as Simmons can stay off the injured list, Fernandez is optimistic about how the three-time All-Star will fit in his scheme. “We wanna play fast. He’s still one of the best play-makers to be able to do that,” Fernandez said. “If you can play fast, touch the paint, move the ball, reverse the ball, all that stuff, Ben really fits all that. Now, are playing like this because of Ben? No. We’re playing like that because that’s the style of play we want for our team.”
Although the Nets can’t realistically have championship aspirations in 2024/25, Marks observed on Thursday that it will be an important year for determining which of the team’s current players can be part of the long-term core. “For me, myself, from the front office side, we’re looking at it from, ‘Who are the next Nets?'” Marks told reporters, including Evan Barnes of Newsday (subscriber link). “Who do we look at and say, OK, this person can be part of this rebuild and this person is on the team for the next two, three years. That’s going to be important for us.”
NetsDaily has a full transcript of Marks’ and Fernandez’s comments from Thursday’s press conference.
Jordan Greene of NetsDaily spoke to Bronx native Andre Barrett, who was hired by the Nets as a scout this summer, about his new position, how he ended up in Brooklyn, and his thoughts on the team’s offseason moves.

Ziaire Williams Talks Trade, Joining Nets, More

August 26th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, former lottery pick Ziaire Williams said he wasn’t surprised to be traded from Memphis to Brooklyn last month. It was a salary-dump move for the Grizzlies, who were focused on staying out of the luxury tax and re-signing Luke Kennard.

“It didn’t catch me off guard. The GM [Zach Kleiman] was kind of letting me know a little bit, just so I wouldn’t be completely shocked,” Williams said. “But when it happens, it’s always like, ‘Damn, it’s real now.’ Like I said, man, I’m happy for the opportunity, and I’m grateful for what I experienced in Memphis, and I’m just looking forward to this next chapter in my life.”

Williams’ interview with HoopsHype covers several topics, including his excitement about joining the Nets and playing for Jordi Fernandez, dealing with injuries the past two seasons, and what skills he brings to a team. Here are a couple more highlights.

On adjusting to Brooklyn:

“It’s been crazy, man. I can’t lie. There’s been a lot, but I got a great supporting cast with me – my mom, my dad, and a bunch of others on my team that are making it a lot easier. Finding new places, meeting new people, learning new plays – everything is super new. It almost feels like I’m a rookie again. To be honest with you, I love it, man. I love this opportunity, and I think it’s really a blessing in disguise for me.”

On what he’s been working to improve this summer:

“Definitely, first and foremost, my body. They say availability is the best ability. I had a nasty little back injury last year, so I’ve been really just every day in the weight room, treatment, just really trying to prioritize my body. And then on the court, just doing all the simple things, man – fine-tuning my shot, reading off closeouts, trying to be great at two or three things rather than trying to be good at a bunch of different things. We, me and the rest of my team, came up with a great plan this summer, and I’ve definitely gotten a lot better. I can’t wait to go out on the main stage and showcase the work I’ve put in the dark.”

A 6’9″ wing who turns 23 years old in a few weeks, Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 21, the day before the 2024/25 regular season begins.

Nets Notes: Bridges Trade, Wilson, Whitehead, Z. Williams

July 20th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nets general manager Sean Marks said the trade that sent Mikal Bridges to the Knicks came together quickly, but an unidentified source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the framework was actually set at the trade deadline. Although Bojan Bogdanovic and Shake Milton may not have been mentioned in the original discussions, it appears the idea of five first-round picks and a swap was discussed in February.

“We were always prepared for a rebuild. It wasn’t like, oh, let’s wait to be lucky to find the star that’s coming into free agency. We were always prepared to pivot in the other direction if we could see the right opportunity to do that,” the source said. “And who would’ve thought we could trade Mikal Bridges for five first-round draft picks? And who would’ve thought we were able to find that window of opportunity to get Houston to agree to get our picks back?

“It was eye-opening to see the Knicks offer these kinds of assets for Mikal. If you look at our ability to reload our assets, particularly in the draft year of 2025, we have one pick that’s our own that could be very. very good. … We’ve got three more first-round picks that probably will be in the 20s but it’s a very deep draft. Plus, we have our own second-round pick. That’s a class we can get very excited about.”

Lewis adds that the Nets began to strongly consider a Bridges trade after he openly criticized the team’s direction following a lopsided loss to Boston on February 14. Up to that point, the focus had been on finding an All-Star to pair with him.

There’s more on the Nets:

Jalen Wilson is a leading contender for Summer League MVP honors, Lewis states in a subscriber-only story. Through four games, Wilson is averaging 24.3 PPG with 46.3/55.6/88.2 shooting figures. His three-point shooting is especially significant because he only connected at 31.6% from beyond the arc in college, 27.5% last season in the G League and 32.4% in 43 NBA games. Concerns about Wilson’s shooting caused him to fall to the 51st pick in the 2023 draft, but he becomes much more valuable if he can maintain anything close to his Summer League pace. “Shooting helps everything at any level of basketball because it provides space on the floor for his teammates,” said Nets Summer League coach Steve Hetzel.
It’s been a difficult Summer League for Dariq Whitehead, who’s trying to return to the court after three surgeries severely limited his playing time in college and during his rookie season, Lewis adds. Whitehead shot 4-of-34 from the field and 2-of-21 from three-point range in his first three games before being held out of Thursday’s contest against Orlando for “rest.” “I’d just like for him to step on the court and play as hard as he can and don’t worry about the makes or misses,” Hetzel said. “That’s been our message from Day 1. … He’s had a tough journey being out as long as he has, and I don’t think any of us can know what he’s going through. It’s our job to just keep encouraging him, put him back out there and have him play as hard as he can the next year.”
Lewis suggests more trades could be in the works after Friday’s deal to acquire Ziaire Williams from Memphis. The Nets are determined to stay under the luxury tax, and their cushion dropped from $8.2MM to $4.3MM by adding Williams. League sources told Lewis “there are still moving pieces,” possibly involving Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson.

Grizzlies Trade Ziaire Williams, Second-Rounder To Nets For Diakite

July 19th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Rory Maher

1:54pm: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).

12:25pm: The Grizzlies have agreed to a trade that will send Ziaire Williams and a 2030 second-round pick (via Dallas) to the Nets for Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

It’s essentially a salary dump for Memphis, which had been looking to move Williams due to the team’s financial situation. The 22-year-old will earn $6.13MM in 2024/25, which is the final season of his rookie scale contract. The Grizzlies will generate a trade exception worth that amount.

After the transaction is complete, the Grizzlies project to be about $10MM below the luxury tax line and $14MM beneath the first apron, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The Nets will acquire Williams using one of their outstanding trade exceptions, Marks notes. It’ll likely be the one worth $9.5MM from sending Royce O’Neale to Phoenix in February.

According to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link), the Grizzlies are likely to use their new cap flexibility to re-sign veteran sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who remains an unrestricted free agent. Wojnarowski confirms Memphis is working to bring back Kennard.

As for the rebuilding Nets, they’ll be taking a low-risk flyer on a former top prospect in Williams, who was selected 10th overall in the 2021 draft. And as a sweetener for taking on his salary, they’ll also add a future second-round pick.

Williams has averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on .426/.301/.803 shooting over the past three seasons with Memphis (150 games; 20.4 minutes per contest). He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension until the day before the 2024/25 season begins; if no deal is reached, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2025.

Diakite, a forward/center who was sent from New York to Brooklyn in the Mikal Bridges trade and is now being re-routed to Memphis, could be waived. His salary for next season is only partially guaranteed for $1.39MM, and Cole recently reported that the Grizzlies want to keep an open roster spot entering the regular season; re-adding Kennard and retaining Diakite would push their standard roster count up to 15 players.

Diakite, 27, has bounced around the NBA over the course of his four seasons, suiting up for the Bucks, Thunder, Cavs, Spurs and Knicks. Overall, the Guinea native has appeared in 55 regular season games, with career averages of 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.6 minutes.

Southwest Notes: Kennard, Pelicans, Murphy, Whitmore

July 18th, 2024 at 6:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Checking in on where things stand between the Grizzlies and Luke Kennard, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that the sharpshooter’s return to Memphis “still feels inevitable” even though it’s taking longer than expected.

The Grizzlies declined Kennard’s $14.8MM team option at the end of June, but the expectation has always been that he would return on a more team-friendly cap number. He hasn’t been linked to any other suitors since free agency began.

Sources tell Cole that the Grizzlies would like to keep their 15th roster spot for the sake of flexibility entering the regular season. Since the team currently has 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, re-signing Kennard may mean trading someone else — Ziaire Williams is rumored to be on the block.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

While head of basketball operations David Griffin said on an ESPN broadcast this week that the Pelicans are “really excited” about what they have at center and are looking forward to playing “small and fast,” it’s fair to wonder if one more move is coming to shore up the position, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Veteran Daniel Theis currently sits atop New Orleans’ depth chart at the five, with rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic behind him and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl potentially in the mix as well.
Within the same story, Clark reports that the Pelicans and fourth-year wing Trey Murphy have opened discussions about a rookie scale extension. The two sides have “differing viewpoints” on Murphy’s value for now, but there’s optimism they’ll find a middle ground and make a deal before the October 21 deadline, Clark writes.
Rockets forward Cam Whitmore has been shut down for the rest of Summer League, but rookie guard Reed Sheppard will continue playing in Las Vegas, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Last year’s Summer League MVP, Whitmore has struggled with his shooting efficiency this time around, making just 38.3% of his shot attempts, including 1-of-14 three-pointers, but Houston knows what he’s capable of offensively and he impressed in other areas (7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 3.3 SPG).

Charania’s Latest: Markkanen, Warriors, Ingram, Bucks, Trent, Westbrook, More

July 15th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have been the “most engaged” trade suitor for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but the two teams are divided on what a potential Golden State package would look like, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic.

According to Charania, the Warriors have discussed an offer that would center around Moses Moody and a number of draft assets, including multiple first-round picks, multiple second-rounders, and multiple pick swaps. However, Utah has sought “the bulk of young talent and capital” Golden State controls, including Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in addition to Moody and draft assets. Sources tell Charania that idea has been a “non-starter” for the Warriors.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is another notable name still on the trade market, but teams around the league believe his market is limited, according to Charania, since some potential suitors (including the Kings and Spurs) made moves for other forwards and most other teams aren’t looking to make a major trade at this point in the offseason. If the market for Ingram remains quiet, New Orleans could assess its current group to open the regular season before deciding whether a trade is necessary, Charania suggests.

With most of the NBA’s other teams focused on tweaking their rosters around the edges, one high-ranking team official told Charania, “It might be one of the more quiet summers.”

Here’s more from Charania:

The Bucks are in the market for help at shooting guard and are among the contending teams pursuing Gary Trent Jr., sources tell The Athletic. However, due to its proximity to the second tax apron, Milwaukee is limited to a minimum-salary offer, and one recent report suggested that Trent isn’t interested in accepting a minimum deal. The Bucks are hosting a free agent workout this week in Las Vegas, Charania notes, with Will Barton expected to be among the participants.
While there has been no action on the Russell Westbrook front as of late, the Clippers and the former MVP still plan to part ways this offseason, says Charania. The Nuggets are considered the favorites to sign Westbrook if he reaches free agency, Charania adds, but Los Angeles is still discussing possible trades.
The Grizzlies are exploring trade possibilities involving former lottery pick Ziaire Williams, sources tell Charania. The Grizzlies aren’t far from the luxury tax line and will likely have to shed some salary if they want to use their full mid-level exception or re-sign Luke Kennard while staying out of tax territory.

Morant Showing Good Progress From Shoulder Surgery

May 21st, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ja Morant appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from shoulder surgery, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

According to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant and several other players who suffered significant injuries are making good progress. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ziaire Williams, Vince Williams and Marcus Smart were among the other Grizzlies players who missed chunks of time due to injury this season.

“Everything is going well,” Jenkins said on Tuesday. “Ja is the only one when June rolls around, he’s going to be pretty close to full go on the court. Everything that everyone was dealing with towards the end of the season is in a good place right now.”

Morant’s season was essentially a washout. He missed the first 25 games of the season due to an NBA suspension, then averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds in nine games after the suspension, including a game-winning shot against New Orleans on Dec. 19 in his return to action.

Morant was then diagnosed with a labral tear in his right shoulder after a training session. At the time of his January surgery, the recovery process was outlined as a six-month process.

Grizzlies head of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in April that there wasn’t a timeline on Morant’s full availability, but that he was “expected to be fully cleared for basketball activities maybe halfway through the offseason.”

Morant will be entering the second year of his five-year, max contract.

Grizzlies’ Derrick Rose, Ziaire Williams Unlikely To Return This Season

March 29th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Injured Grizzlies point guard Derrick Rose and forward Ziaire Williams aren’t expected to return to action this season, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Rose, who last played on February 28, has been sidelined due to right groin issue and lower back recovery. Williams hasn’t suited up since March 2 due to a lower back injury of his own, as well as a hip flexor strain.

“They’re doing well,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Friday. “Most likely they’re not going to be coming back by the end of the season. We’re just kind of taking it day to day.”

As Cole notes, Ja Morant is the only Grizzlies player who has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season. There also has been no indication that Marcus Smart (finger) is on track to play again this spring. However, the team isn’t simply shutting down all of its injured players despite its 24-49 record.

Brandon Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday after spending more than a year recovering from an Achilles tear. Memphis also remains hopeful that Vince Williams (knee) and John Konchar (heel) will play again before the regular season concludes on April 14, says Cole.

The banged-up Grizzlies have qualified for multiple hardship exceptions in recent weeks due to all their injuries. If Morant, Rose, Williams, and Smart are the only four players they don’t expect back in the season’s final two weeks, they’ll only qualify for a single hardship exception going forward, giving them the ability to carry one extra player rather than two.