Ziaire Williams remains day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and will not play Thursday against the Kings. The preseason absence comes two days after he first turned up day-to-day with a rest-related issue on Oct. 6.
What happened
Williams carried a day-to-day tag into Thursday's 9:16 PM ET report, with the issue now listed as undisclosed rather than rest-related. He had already been day-to-day on Oct. 6, when the designation was tied to rest. Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register reported Thursday that Williams won't play in the preseason game against the Kings. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 13. No further detail on the injury is announced.
What it means for the Lakers
The Lakers host the Kings on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN2, the same game Williams will miss. Last season he averaged 22.9 minutes, 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists over 56 games. With him out, the minutes load falls on the regulars already logging the most run in the rotation: Luka Doncic (35.8 minutes, 33.5 points), Austin Reaves (34.5 minutes, 23.3 points), LeBron James (33.2 minutes, 20.9 points), Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard. The 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no regular-season record with or without him yet.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Williams' status changes from day-to-day. An expected return date of Oct. 13 is listed, though that is not a confirmed timeline beyond what the report states. The Lakers have additional preseason games ahead before the regular season opens, and several other Lakers remain day-to-day on the same report, including Dalton Knecht, Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle, Collin Sexton, Arthur Kaluma and Walker Kessler.
Is Ziaire Williams playing vs Kings?
No. Williams is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and has been ruled out of Thursday's preseason game against the Kings, per Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register.
When will Ziaire Williams be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 13. No further timeline is announced.