NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams is one of the four players on the Nets roster that has a team option for the 2026-27 NBA season after having the best season of his career. Brooklyn is hoping to improve its roster as much as possible this offseason with the goal of potentially competing for a playoff spot next season so should the Nets pick up Williams’ option?
Spotrac’s Keith Smith recently projected that the Nets would decline Williams’ $6.25 team option, but with the goal of hopefully re-signing him once free-agency begins. Smith wrote that Brooklyn is likely going to maximize the amount of cap space they have this summer, but in order for them to do so, they would have to decline the options that various players on the roster have.
Williams, 24, ended the 2025-26 season with averages of 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.3% from behind the three-point line in 56 games played. While Williams has been known for his defensive ability on the perimeter, he showed last season that he has been working hard to improve his offensive game so that he can be more of a threat on both ends of the floor.
“It’s just about putting in the work. The season [is] so long. It’s so easy just to come in, do a little [amount of] shots and walk out,” Williams said about his work ethic prior to the end of the season. “I try to take advantage of every optional shooting every time after practice, get extra shots up, just any little chance I can to get better. I truly love working on my craft and working on my game.”
While Williams has shown the potential to contribute more to the rotation after how he played this season, the Nets will likely approach his free-agency like they did last summer in terms of letting him free-agency before re-signing him. Either way, the real question is whether Brooklyn should do what it can to bring Williams back to the Nets. After how he played this season, the answer to that question should be a resounding yes.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Should the Nets pick up Ziaire Williams’ $6.25 million team option?
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire | USA TODAY Network
