Ziaire Williams Carries the Cheapest Deal and the Biggest…

By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Wednesday, September 30

Ziaire Williams told reporters at Lakers media day he is looking forward to contributing to a winning team, the kind of answer a fifth-year wing gives when the depth chart is against him. He is entering the season on the cheapest contract on the roster, with last season's uneven numbers still the loudest thing on his resume.

Ziaire Williams of the Lakers — Ziaire Williams. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A Prove-It Price

Williams signed for $2.4 million in 2026-27, the lightest number on a payroll that has already climbed to $204.0 million and crossed the $200.4 million tax threshold. That price tag is protection for both sides: cheap enough to keep around, cheap enough to move if the wing rotation gets crowded before opening night. Camp carries twenty-one players, and Quentin Grimes alone earns nearly six times Williams' salary at a position they both play.

What Last Season Showed

Over 56 games and 22.9 minutes a night, Williams scored 10.2 points on 42.5% shooting, adding 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He hit 34.3% of his threes on 4.5 attempts and made 85.0% of his free throws, numbers that pushed his true shooting to 57.9%. His on-court impact told a rougher story: a 103.1 offensive rating, a 113.2 defensive rating and a net rating of -10.1, with a usage rate of just 17.9%. The team finished last season with a net rating of +1.5, which makes his personal -10.1 figure look like the outlier it is.

Fighting for Minutes

Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, Collin Sexton and Bronny James all play the same positions Williams does, and camp will sort out who Redick trusts. Williams isn't on the injury report, so health won't be his excuse. He told Lakers Nation at media day he's looking forward to contributing to a winning team; turning that into a rotation spot means the efficient shooting has to show up alongside defense that actually helps the score, not hurts it. That's the swing skill teams look for from the cheapest wing on the roster: fewer empty possessions, more stops, and a defensive rating that stops working against him.

What is Ziaire Williams' salary for 2026-27?

Williams is set to make $2.4 million in 2026-27, the smallest contract on the Lakers roster.

How did Ziaire Williams perform last season?

He played 56 games for the Lakers, averaging 10.2 points on 42.5% shooting and 34.3% from three, though his net rating was -10.1.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.