We are only 12 games into the season and Rob Pelinka is already being invited to reshuffle his list of priorities for the Los Angeles Lakers when it comes to the summer of 2027. The main reason for that? Ziaire Williams.
When the Lakers landed Williams on a one-year, veteran minimum during this past offseason, there was a quiet excitement about envisioning a breakout campaign for Ziaire in Los Angeles. Thus far, the team has gotten as much. If he keeps up what he is doing, this will easily be the best year of the young wing's career.
Williams is averaging career highs in points per game (11.2), steals per game (1.4), field goal percentage (54.5), 3-point percentage (45.2), true shooting percentage (70.8), and more. Whether it has been as a starter or off the bench, Ziaire has remained steady and important.
If Williams keeps going at his current pace, the young Laker will be owed a clear increase from his current minimum-value contract. Pelinka and his front office will have the means to do that. The conversation at this point is whether they will have any choice but to commit when the time comes.
Ziaire Williams is quickly becoming a must-pay for the Lakers in 2027
There was a steady hope that Williams could have a breakout year as a shooter in 2026-27 based on his success on wide-open triples with the Brooklyn Nets in 2025-26. Ziaire shot 41.0 percent on those 3-point shots. He was poised to get improved shot quality in Los Angeles and that boded well.
Williams has continued to be cash money when given space to shoot. When his closest defender is more than six feet away, Ziaire is knocking down 47.1 percent of those looks. That ranks third on the Lakers, only trailing Jake LaRavia (55.0 percent) and Luka Doncic (48.0 percent).
The more encouraging part of this equation is only 1.9 of his nightly 4.7 attempts per game are coming on those types of looks. Williams has taken a leap as a shooter overall, not needing to rely on just the easy ones. An offseason dedicated to improved jump shot mechanics is paying off for him.
Couple that with his defensive playmaking and Ziaire is quickly turning himself into a player archetype that every team loves: the 3-and-D wing. That mold of player is particularly valuable in a set-up like the Lakers have with Doncic and Austin Reaves.
If Williams continues to perform as he has, it should invite Pelinka to ensure a longer stay in Los Angeles for the natural fit on the wings. The Lakers should have access to the midlevel exception and bi-annual exception in the summer of 2027. Some portion of that money is going to be accounted for by Ziaire if things hold as they are.
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