The Los Angeles Lakers spent the LeBron James era treating every season as though it was their last opportunity to help him compete for a championship. Short-term moves were prioritized and long-term assets were thrown to the wind, with Los Angeles ultimately and perhaps inevitably finding itself devoid of the developable youth and athleticism it needed to keep up with the modern titans.
Thankfully, the Lakers have seemingly learned from past mistakes with the signing of Ziaire Williams—thus indicating that the Luka Doncic era will feature a more balanced approach to team building.
Los Angeles recently signed Williams to a one-year deal that will give the 24-year-old a chance to carve out a role on a championship hopeful. An athletic 6'9" wing who has made strides as a shooter and possesses clear defensive potential, there should be a spot for him in the rotation if he can play with consistency and efficiency.
There's also a clear shift in the manner in which the Lakers are conducting business, as they previously reserved their final roster spots for veterans they hoped could rediscover their lost form.
With Williams, however, the Lakers are investing in the potential of a player who still has youth on their side. They're expressing the belief that he can be more than he's been and are validated to at least a degree of conceivability by the simple fact that there's still upside to explore.
Whether or not Williams actually taps into his potential with the Lakers, the opportunity he's been given suggests Los Angeles is finally changing the way it approaches its roster construction.
Lakers prioritizing developable talent over vets trying to right the ship
Williams is already a productive NBA player who has flashed the ability to be a quality two-way contributor. In 2025-26, he averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 three-point field goals made in 22.9 minutes per game.
Those numbers translate to impressive marks of 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.1 steals, and 2.4 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes.
For as solid as those numbers may be, the question with Williams is whether or not he can generate quality contributions with efficiency. This past season, he shot just 42.5 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, which certainly fuels the skepticism.
Williams has increased his field goal and three-point field goal percentages across each of the past two seasons, however, which bodes well for him as he approaches year six.
Perhaps it'll come to pass that Williams is a poor fit who doesn't quite address the issues Los Angeles still needs to acknowledge and fix. What he represents, however, is an opportunity to finally move away from relying on aging veterans with minimum contracts and instead embrace the opportunity to take chances on up-and-comers with untapped potential.
If nothing else, the Lakers have finally proven to have their eyes on more than just the present in an era that all but requires contenders to be able to cultivate depth and prioritize internal development.
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