The general expectation around the NBA is that the Los Angeles Lakers will take at least half a step backward this season without LeBron James. Last season, they went 53-29 and finished fourth in the Western Conference, but now, they may not have a true third scorer, and the belief is that they still lack enough plus defenders on the perimeter.
But the Lakers still do have a competitive roster, and in fact, their roster does look more balanced and versatile this time around. Derek Fisher, a guard who won five NBA ****** les with the Lakers back in the day, feels there won't be much of a drop-off this season with James now on the Philadelphia 76ers, via Lakers Nation.
"You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left," Fisher said during his show on 97.1 The Fan LA. "So it's not going to fall off that much because Luka [Doncic] is there. I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an All-Star backcourt that you can roll out every night, and then Walker Kessler is a young developing almost All-Star-ish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding. So I think you have a chance…45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me."
When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, they went 19-63 the following season and didn't make the playoffs until he returned for the 2014-15 campaign. The results were similar for the four seasons following James' second departure from the Cavaliers in 2018.
Kessler was L.A.'s big offseason addition, and by himself, he could improve its defense. It also brought in Quentin Grimes and Collin ****** ton to boost its offense and its backcourt, Sandro Mamukelashvili could be a nice utility big man, and Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams could be reliable 3-and-D role players. In addition, rookie guard Cameron Carr could break into the rotation before too long.

#james #fisher #luka #cavaliers

After a busy summer reshaping the entire squad to fit the needs of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers spent the recent weeks trying to add Jonathan ****** inga, but the 23-year-old forward chose the Timberwolves instead, signing a two-year, $13.0 million deal while rejecting more money from the Lakers.
This team keeps having the same athletic questions now, as they obviously rebuilt the roster around defense for Luka and Reaves, but they still don't have the young athletic forward they hoped ****** inga could become for them. Matisse Thybulle gives them defense, Quentin Grimes helps on both ends, and Ziaire Williams adds some size, but there is still room for another bigger wing who can guard from guards to forwards.
There is another issue too: the Lakers currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, one more than they can carry into the regular season. So unless somebody gets waived, another move is already coming before Opening Night.
That is why a three-for-two trade makes a lot of sense right now. Instead of simply cutting somebody from the bottom of the roster, the Lakers could use that extra body as part of a bigger deal and still attack the hole ****** inga was supposed to fill.
This three-team mock trade with the Bulls and Grizzlies would do exactly that.

#Lakers #still #instead #team

The Los Angeles Lakers are now undoubtedly Luka Doncic's team, even though he has been with them for just over 18 months. LeBron James is now calling the Northeast home as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Doncic has already started to flex his leadership muscles.
He recently held a minicamp for his teammates in his native Slovenia, and in addition to basketball activities, everyone got to take part in some golf and other fun excursions. It was a nice gesture by Doncic as the team prepares for the upcoming NBA season and hopes to prove the pundits who are doubting it wrong.
Forward Ziaire Williams, who is one of nine new players on the Lakers' roster, had some very complimentary things to say about Doncic's leadership, via Benjamin Royer of the Southern California News Group.
"Williams said Doncic 'has big kid energy, like a young, youthful spirit,' adding that he could tell how much Doncic cared about winning games but also how much he cares about his teammates.
"'I can tell (Doncic's) leadership. He wants to step up even more this year,' Williams said. 'I'm excited, man. I'm really excited to play with him. And of course, when we're playing basketball, it's just he makes the game just so easy and looks so simple. He's going to make my life a lot easier for sure.'"

#williams #team #Basketball

The Lakers have added Ziaire Williams to their roster this season on a one-year, $3 million deal to add some bench depth for wings who are also lob threats. He ended the 2025-26 season averaging 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 **** ists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the three-point arc.
Ahead of the upcoming 2026-27 season, Williams spoke to Benjamin Royer of the OC Register and discussed several topics related to joining the Lakers.
"I just thought it was a great opportunity," Williams said on why he chose the Lakers despite averaging a career-high in points with the Nets,
"Being that big wing, versatile player that they needed, I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be a Laker. Even if the same team was in New Orleans or Milwaukee, wherever – just the opportunity that was here and the team that they had, I just thought it was the best fit."
"And then just being back home in L.A. is the cherry on top. Being able to play in front of my family and my friends, and I'm super excited."

#Lakers #williams #Opportunity #ziaire

Ziaire Williams has the opportunity to become a key contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The 6-foot-9 forward, whom the team signed to a one-year, $2.45 million contract in July, is not a finished product yet, but if he continues to improve and refine different aspects of his game, he could perhaps earn more playing time than he has gotten thus far in his NBA career.
Last season, he averaged 10.2 points and 1.4 steals in 22.9 minutes a game with the Brooklyn Nets. At this point in his career, the 24-year-old is known as a capable defender who has ample athleticism.
Per Benjamin Royer of the Southern California News Group, Williams talked to coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka about his role. Redick and Pelinka laid out a specific role for him on the defensive end.
"Williams said in his early conversations with Lakers coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka, they have told him that their focus for him is "first and foremost, being a main defender, point-of-attack defender."
The Lakers have lacked plus defenders on the perimeter for the last few years. In Williams, Quentin Grimes and Matisse Thybulle, they have three men who could help fill that void right away.

#last

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2026-27 NBA season with almost a brand-new roster, and ESPN's Malika Andrews thinks they'll take a step back from last season. When discussing whether the Lakers or the Boston Celtics will exceed expectations on NBA Today, Andrews revealed she expects them to be in the same boat.
"I see both of these teams as having actually fairly similar paths," Andrews said. "They're both going to be fighting to be sort of in that top six, maybe in danger of falling out of that top six in the league."
Now, the Lakers haven't finished outside the top four in the Western Conference since JJ Redick took over as head coach in 2024. They were the third seed in 2024-25 with a 50-32 record and the fourth seed in 2025-26 with a 53-29 record.
Redick, of course, had a certain LeBron James' **** istance in those two seasons, and that is no longer the case. James is among the many notable names who have departed the Lakers this offseason, with Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard also heading out of town.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are now the only key pieces left over, and they've seen the Lakers bring in the likes of Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin **** ton, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle. It is an interesting collection of players.

#record

One newcomer to the Los Angeles Lakers who hasn't been talked about as much as some of the others is Ziaire Williams. The 6-foot-9 forward is very athletic, reportedly has a vertical leap of nearly 40 inches, runs the floor well and finishes strong in transition and is a versatile, effective defender. He will have a chance to make a significant impact on a Lakers team that has badly needed versatile, athletic perimeter defenders for the last few years.
Williams was born in Lancaster, Calif., which is about an hour northeast of downtown Los Angeles, and he went to high school in the San Fernando Valley, first at Notre Dame High School and then at Sierra Canyon School. He's now back in the Southland, and in a video on the Lakers' YouTube channel, he said that getting to play for the team is "super surreal."
"Seeing my name on the Lakers jersey was super surreal, a blessing," Williams said. "I can't even explain it into words I'm just so excited to be back home, playing in front of the fans, my family and I never would've imagined this day would come true. Eight-year old me is doing backflips right now. It's crazy, I just can't wait to play a real game. I'm ready to play right now."
The 24-year-old's main weakness is his 3-point shooting, which has improved somewhat during his five years in the NBA, but he was at a mediocre 34.3% from that distance last season. He's very good at hitting wide-open 3s (defined as the closest defender being at least six feet away), but he tends to struggle when a defender is closer than six feet away from him.
Last season, Williams averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 ******* ists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks in 22.9 minutes a game as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He signed a one-year, $2.45 million veteran minimum contract with the Lakers in mid-July.

#play

The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the roster as much as possible following a 2025-26 season in which they finished with a 20-62 record. Brooklyn's biggest move of the summer was trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle and most of the fanbase believes that the team has improved.
As of this writing, most Nets fans feel that the roster has gotten better since the beginning of the offseason, according to a poll posted on NetsDaily. Out of 41 votes, 56% of the respondents believe that the team has improved somewhat while 37% feel that the roster has improved significantly when considering all of the moves made thus far.
In addition to trading for Randle, the Nets were somewhat active in free-agency as they signed former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis and former Orlando Magic center Mo Wagner. More to that point, Brooklyn also managed to re-sign forward Josh Minott and center Day'Ron Sharpe, who is looking to be a starter for the first time in his career.
As far as who the Nets lost over the course of the summer, the biggest subtraction was starting center Nic Claxton, who was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the Randle deal. Forward Ziaire Williams, who had arguably the best season of his career this past year, left Brooklyn in free-agency to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after being with the Nets over the past two seasons.
After a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, the Nets ultimately ended up with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which they used to select promising point guard Mikel Brown Jr. out of Louisville. With Randle joining Sharpe and forward Michael Porter Jr., Brown will likely be in the starting backcourt with Egor Demin, who impressed during his time in the summer circuit. There are plenty of reasons for Nets fans to feel better about the team at this point in the offseason.

#roster #improved

Collin **** ton has the opportunity to make a sizable impact on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The 6-foot-3 guard, who signed a two-year, $19 million contract with them this summer, is a scoring threat who can handle the ball, facilitate and speed up the pace of the game.
Sexton is also a very energetic, high-motor player who always gives 100% on both ends of the floor. During his first media availability as a member of the Lakers, he was asked about the vision that coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka have for the team and how he can fit into that vision.
"Just toughness," **** ton said. "I would say the toughness. They wanna be able to compete in all aspects on the defensive side, but also the offensive side and just being able to change the pace of the game whenever it's needed. I feel like sometimes walking the ball up and letting the other team set up their defense is tough, sometimes you gotta be able to change the flow. We talked and it was a really good conversation and they believe in me. I just feel like at the end of the day, whenever a coach believes in you, and like you said, he's gonna be hard on me and yell at scream at me, so I like that. I think that's what gets the best from me."
Last season, Los Angeles was 20th in defensive rating, 16th in fast-break points and 22nd in pace. One would expect the team's pace and transition opportunities to increase at least somewhat thanks to the addition of players such as **** ton who can attack off the dribble in the open court. The acquisition of men such as **** ton and forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle, all of whom are adept at coming up with steals, should also help L.A.'s transition game.
Sexton averaged 15.4 points and 3.3 **** ists in 23.7 minutes a game while shooting 48.5% overall and 40.1% from 3-point range last season. The Lakers would occasionally get blown out in games and seem to almost mail it in this past season, but with a better bench, more youth and more athleticism, they may not happen as much this coming season.

#Lakers

The Brooklyn Nets are now moving on with the rest of their offseason with the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League in the rearview mirror following a successful summer circuit. Brooklyn has made various moves over the course of the summer, including trading for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and one of the ****** istant coaches approves of where the roster is at right now.
"What we’re excited about is the depth of legitimate NBA rotation players and potential rotation players we have now," a Nets ****** istant coach said of the team, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. As the roster stands as of this writing, the starting lineup could be Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day'Ron Sharpe.
"Not to speak ill of last year’s team, but we were down to rookies and non-NBA-level players by the end of the year. This year, we’ve got depth and the kids are improving too," the ****** istant coach continued, per Smith. Brooklyn finished the 2025-26 season with a lowly 20-62 record, rewarding them with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, allowing them to take Brown.
To the ****** istant coach's point, the Nets have re-signed Sharpe and forward Josh Minott while adding Randle, guard Keon Ellis, and center Mo Wagner (while his deal hasn't been officially announced yet). More to the point, Brooklyn has moved on from center Nic Claxton (who they traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the four-team deal with the Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets) while forward Ziaire Williams signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free-agency.
The Nets also added forwards Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau in the 2026 draft to go along with the five first-rounders they took in the 2025 class that the team is hoping breaks through at some point. Time will tell how good this current roster will be next season but as it stands now, one of Brooklyn's ****** istant coaches believes that this roster is better than the one from last season.

#assistant #team #forward #year

Lakers reportedly trying to stop Hawks from sending $46M ex-Warriors NBA champion elsewhere originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers got the bulk of their offseason work done during the opening days of free agency. They were able to add players such as Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, and Colin ***** ton to the organization.
Now, Los Angeles is attempting to land former Golden State Warriors NBA champion Jonathan ***** inga. The two sides reportedly have mutual interest.
“There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan ***** inga and the Lakers, per Jovan Buha. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure ***** inga’s commitment as their new wing addition,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
While that has been the case, the Lakers have also signed wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams. Even so, there is a growing belief that negotiations between the two sides have hit a rough patch and may even be at a stalemate.

#even

Although the Los Angeles Lakers' roster looks largely set, their pursuit of 6-foot-7 forward Jonathan ******* inga hasn't ended.
They have depth at the wing and forward spots after adding Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle in recent days, but they lack a legitimate two-way starting forward. ******* inga could fill that void -- if he changes his ways and embraces such a well-rounded role.
ESPN reporter Anthony Slater went on "NBA Today" on Thursday and outlined where the Lakers' pursuit of ******* inga stands.
"I can tell you that they keep calling Jonathan ******* inga. And again, obviously they have not made a lucrative enough offer for ******* inga to jump. But part of their pitch has been, 'Hey, you can come start here potentially.'
"And that says two things to me. Number one, it says the Lakers still don't want to be done making moves, and they believe they're a little weak on the wing position. Which, I think [Matisse] Thybulle will help. I think Ziaire Williams will help, but they could use some more juice on the wing, and maybe they get ******* inga done. Maybe they don't. I think the LeBron domino affects ******* inga and what he may or may not be able to get. But, again, all I can tell you is Rob Pelinka keeps calling about Jonathan ******* inga"

#kuminga #ziaire

Whenever a player who could've helped the Los Angeles Lakers ends up with another team, some fans simply ******* ume that the Lakers didn't go after him. But the team has been aggressive this summer in remodeling its roster after LeBron James left, and that aggression extends to players it struck out on.
On Sunday, Luguentz Dort, who was a key starter for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the last several years, was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. Before that trade went down, the Lakers were reportedly one team that had interest in him, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
"Several teams expressed trade interest in acquiring Dort before he was traded to Atlanta, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat, league sources told HoopsHype."
Los Angeles has lacked defensive-minded wings, especially those who can also hit open 3-pointers, for a number of years. While Dort shot just 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range last season, he could've served as a nice piece for L.A.
About a month ago, NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote that the team had called the Thunder about Dort. Instead, it eventually added two-way wing Quentin Grimes and forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle in free agency. It is also hoping that 6-foot-5 rookie guard Cameron Carr will make it into its rotation and display some legitimate two-way ability.

#Lakers #dort

Lakers predicted to trade outcast Dalton Knecht for disgruntled $46M ex-Warriors NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the busiest teams this offseason after four-time NBA champion LeBron James informed the franchise he would not be returning. Since then, Los Angeles has focused on building its roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The Lakers have nearly exhausted all of their offseason moves, but one significant addition could still be on the way. Los Angeles and Jonathan ****** inga have expressed mutual interest in joining forces.
"There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan ****** inga and the Lakers, per Jovan Buha. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure ****** inga's commitment as their new wing addition," NBA reporter Evan Sidery posted.
The two sides have been working toward a deal for more than a week. However, the Lakers signed young wing Ziaire Williams earlier this week.

Even after forward Ziaire Williams agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, their pursuit of Jonathan ****** inga continues.
There have been multiple and possibly conflicting reports about what the Atlanta Hawks, ****** inga's last NBA team, are seeking in a sign-and-trade deal from the Lakers. Reportedly, ****** inga has been seeking a contract in the area of $25 million a year, but it seems unlikely that he will actually be offered that much money.
While ****** inga has yet to fulfill the tremendous potential people have seen in him ever since he was the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft, he could at least be a temporary solution to the Lakers' need for a legitimate starting two-way forward. Mychal Thompson, a former big man who won two NBA championships with the Lakers in 1987 and 1988, made his argument for ****** inga joining the Purple and Gold, per ESPN Los Angeles.
"I wish I had Jonathan ****** inga's phone number… He needs to sign with the Lakers. Talk about a great opportunity for him. He'd come in as a starter… Play on a high-profile team like the Lakers. Everybody around the league is gonna see you. He could run the floor. He can go out and get alley-oop dunks from Luka Doncic. This will set him up for his future if he ends up signing. I don't know what's taken him so long."
Kuminga's focus, dedication, work ethic and perhaps even his coachability have been questioned over the last few years. But as Thompson mentioned, he is a dynamite threat in transition, and he also has the ability to play defense at a high level.

Lakers predicted to trade Bronny James for freakishly athletic ex-Warriors $46M NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA's busiest teams this offseason as they continue building around superstar Luka Doncic. With LeBron James departing in free agency, the Lakers are ushering in a new era in Los Angeles.
The Lakers have yet to find an ideal replacement for James, although replacing a player of his caliber is nearly impossible. One player they have shown significant interest in is NBA champion Jonathan ****** inga.
“There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan ****** inga and the Lakers, per Jovan Buha. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure ****** inga’s commitment as their new wing addition,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
However, things took an interesting turn Monday when the Lakers signed young wing Ziaire Williams, who played high school basketball with Bronny James. Williams agreed to a one-year deal with Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Lakers are adding a young wing to their revamped rotation, adding free agent forward Ziaire Williams has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal, according to ESPN.
The signing fills all 15 spots on the roster, solidifying a squad built around Luka Dončić and its new-look core.
Williams, a 24-year-old small forward from Lancaster, California, joins the Lakers after spending the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets.
The former No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft brings size, athleticism, perimeter shooting to a Lakers team looking for more depth on the wing.
The 6-foot-9 forward played some of his best basketball of his career in the last two seasons in Brookyln.

Lakers sign 6-foot-9 forward amid Jonathan ***** inga pursuit originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Lakers roster has gone through quite the transformation since LeBron James revealed he wouldn't be returning to play in Los Angeles for the 2026-27 season.
They've signed/traded for the likes of Walker Kessler, Collin ***** ton, Quentin Grimes and others.
On Monday, they added another player to their roster for next season.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday afternoon that the Lakers signed Ziaire Williams to a short-term deal.

Lakers should be of interest with recent No. 10 pick amid Jonathan **** inga rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
All reports indicate that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to add another young wing who can come in and make an impact for them on both sides of the basketball. The one player that continues to pop up in all of these talks is Jonathan **** inga, the former Golden State Warriors wing who was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline.
As the Lakers approach the remainder of the offseason, especially if they don't add **** inga, there should be other players for them to target, either on the trade market or as free agents.
Sports Illustrated recently floated the idea of pursuing Ziaire Williams, a wing with a lot of tools.
"The Brooklyn Nets recently declined Ziaire Williams' $6.3 million team option for next season, making him a free agent. The same thing happened with **** inga and the Hawks, but a much higher number ($24.3 million)...

According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Lakers met with free agent forward Jonathan ***** inga last Tuesday when NBA free agency officially opened and are still trying to land him. Khobi Price of the California Post reported that the Atlanta Hawks, the team ***** inga finished this past season with, are willing to do a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles to give it the 23-year-old.
But trades are never easy to consummate in the NBA, and the Lakers do have a big hole in terms of a starting two-way forward who is athletic. If they strike out on ***** inga, they need to have other options, and Price listed some potential ones, although it is unknown how realistic they are for the team.
Most of them are underwhelming, but the pickings are slim right now, especially given the ultra-restrictive qualities of the league's current collective bargaining agreement and salary cap.
"Ziaire Williams, who's coming off a career-year with the [Brooklyn] Nets, is a player the Lakers eyed after the Nets declined Williams' $6.3 million team option to make him an unrestricted free agent," Price wrote.
"Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle and Ochai Agbaji are other unrestricted free agents still available."

The Brooklyn Nets came into NBA free-agency with some matters to attend to before 6 PM ET on Jun. 30 when teams can negotiate with free-agents from other teams. Prior to the official beginning of free-agency, Brooklyn had to consider which players they were exercising team options on and contract options of that nature, but it looks like the Nets brought back most of the players.
To being, the Nets declined the $6.25 million team option on forward Ziaire Williams' contract for the 2026-27 season on Sunday, officially making him an unrestricted free-agent before the official start of free-agency. There is still a chance for Brooklyn to re-sign Williams once free-agency opens, but there seems to be other teams interested in his services if he does not return to the Nets.
More to the point, Brooklyn declined to tender qualifying offers to forwards Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson, also making them unrestricted free-agents prior to the beginning of free-agency. Given that the Nets acquired Agbaji from the Toronto Raptors in the middle of last season via trade, there was some interest surrounding his free-agency, but it seems like he and Wilson will be able to test the market before making any decisions.
As far as who the Nets brought back, they plan to re-sign forward Josh Minott to a two-year, $9 million deal and plan to sign center Day'Ron Sharpe to a two-year deal worth around $20 million. Given that free-agency hasn't officially opened as of this writing, Brooklyn cannot officially re-sign either of them, but it seems that the intention is there to bring both of them back to the Nets.
The Nets have picked up the $2.15 million team option on guard Malachi Smith's contract for the 2026-27 season so he will be back, though his contract is fully non-guaranteed. Also, forward Chaney Johnson will sign the Two-Way qualifying offer that Brooklyn extended to him so he will be back with the Nets and he will be playing in the summer leagues with the team. The official start of free-agency should be interesting.

The Houston Rockets will have to decide on Tari Eason's long-term future this summer.
Eason is set to enter restricted free agency this summer after Houston wasn't able to extend the 25-year-old last offseason. With the **** ing and perimeter defense that he brings, it would be tough to replace Eason in free agency if the Rockets are unable to re-sign him.
It wouldn't be a straight swap of what Eason provides, but signing recent Brooklyn Nets free agent Ziaire Williams could make sense for Houston if it gets priced out of Eason's contract talks.
Williams averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game in his second season with the Nets, shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the arc across 56 games played. He was also impactful on the defensive end, registering a career-high 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.
At 24 years old, Williams is a year younger than Eason and has a similar frame at 6'9, 185 pounds. For a team with limited financial flexibility like Houston, it's also important to note that he'd be significantly cheaper. Eason is projected to earn a 3-year, $75 million contract this summer, while the Rockets could likely sign Williams on a team-friendly deal or even the veteran's minimum.

The Brooklyn Nets have some decisions to make this offseason as they seek to add to the roster while maximizing cap ****** e for various transactions along the way. Aside from bringing in outside free-agents and making trades, Brooklyn still has to make decisions to Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams and it seems like the Nets are giving themselves more time to figure it out.
Per multiple reports on Saturday, the Nets pushed back the deadline on center Day'Ron Sharpe's $6.25 million team option by one day, seemingly giving both parties time to come to an agreement. As Spotrac's Keith Smith pointed out, Jun. 29 is the final day for decisions to be made on player/team options across the league for contracts that are guaranteed.
With that being said, forward Ziaire Williams also has a $6.25 million team option that has to be decided on Monday and how Brooklyn addresses those options could be an indication of their future plans. As Smith wrote recently, the Nets will probably decline the options on both players, but it would be with the goal of re-signing them while allowing the team the most cap ****** e possible.
Sharpe, 24, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 ****** ists per game while shooting 60.1% from the field and 67.8% from the free-throw line. With Nic Claxton being traded to the Chicago Bulls, Sharpe is in line to begin next season as the starting center, barring Brooklyn acquiring another center before the season starts.
Williams, 24, put forth averages of 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the floor and 34.3% from deep. With Williams coming off arguably the best season of his career and Sharpe having another solid year as the backup center, Brooklyn will likely find ways to re-sign both players even if their options are declined on Monday.