2026-27 projection
| GP | MPG | FG% (FGA) | FT% (FTA) | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 12 | .435 (3.9) | .830 (0.9) | 0.8 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
- Healthy-night role: 12 minutes — six at small forward and six at power forward.
- 9-category: Deep-league steals/threes streamer; low assists and uncertain FG% cap the standard-league case.
- Points leagues: Off the draft board in ordinary formats.
- Dynasty: Deep-league reclamation hold only; still 25, but on a one-year deal with heavy wing competition.
Projection logic
Williams averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.5 threes in 22.9 minutes over 56 games in 2025-26, shooting .425 from the field. The steal rate is enticing, but the Lakers do not have 23 clean minutes for him without an injury or trade. The median cuts usage and playing time while preserving a meaningful defensive-event contribution. ESPN player statistics
His reported one-year, $3 million agreement arrived after the official Lakers roster page's earlier snapshot; the Los Angeles Times report and ESPN's current roster are the desk's roster evidence at the July 18 cutoff. That late, low-cost deal supports a competition role rather than guaranteed rotation status. Los Angeles Times signing report
Correction 2026-07-18: base minutes cut from 14 to 12, with the counting line rescaled. Yahoo's depth chart published after this signing lists Williams as the backup 3-and-D wing behind Jake LaRavia at forward rather than as a competitor for the starting job, so two of his small-forward minutes move to LaRavia. Yahoo depth chart
Redraft, dynasty, and scenarios
- Median: A twelve-minute energy wing with streaming value only in very deep leagues.
- Ceiling: His defense wins 24 minutes and he repeats roughly 1.4 steals and 1.5 threes, creating top-160 category value.
- Floor: Carr and LaRavia take the reserve-wing work, making Williams a frequent DNP-CD.
- Draft stance: Watch list rather than a standard-league pick.
- Dynasty: A low-cost hold only if roster depth allows; the contract does not provide long-term security.
Confidence
- Roster: Medium-high — credible reported agreement and current ESPN listing, pending a Lakers transaction release at cutoff.
- Minutes: Low — the forward hierarchy is unsettled.
- Rates: Medium — last season's steal spike may regress in a smaller role.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times: Williams agrees with Lakers
- ESPN player statistics
- Official Lakers roster snapshot
Career record
Pre-NBA: Stanford, one season (2020-21): 20 GP, 10.7 PTS, 4.6 REB, 2.2 AST on .374/.291/.796 — a consensus five-star, top-ranked small forward in the 2020 class and McDonald's All-American selection whose lone college year underdelivered on the recruiting billing. Draft: 2021, Round 1, Pick 10, New Orleans Pelicans — traded on draft night to Memphis.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 20 | MEM | 62 | 21.7 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | .450 | .782 | 0.7 |
| 2022-23 | 21 | MEM | 37 | 15.2 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | .429 | .773 | 1.0 |
| 2023-24 | 22 | MEM | 51 | 20.4 | 8.2 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 | .397 | .827 | 1.3 |
| 2024-25 | 23 | BKN | 63 | 24.5 | 10.0 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | .412 | .821 | 1.1 |
| 2025-26 | 24 | BKN | 56 | 22.9 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.5 | .425 | .850 | 1.1 |
| Career | — | — | 269 | 21.4 | 8.7 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.3 | .422 | .824 | 1.0 |
Durability: Has never reached 65 games in five seasons (62, 37, 51, 63, 56). A right knee injury cost him the first 24 games of 2022-23; ankle trouble and COVID protocols interrupted his rookie year; the other seasons mix minor injuries with rotation DNPs. Trajectory: The record shows a lottery pick who never became a scorer (career 8.7 PTS, .422 FG) but quietly rebuilt himself in Brooklyn as a 3-and-D wing, with 2025-26 the first year the steals (1.4) and threes (1.5) both landed at streamer-grade rates. In 2026-27 he competes for the Lakers' backup wing minutes behind LaRavia on a one-year, $3 million prove-it deal. He becomes fantasy-relevant only if he wins roughly 24 minutes through injury or defensive trust and holds last season's defensive-event rates — the same profile at 12 minutes is waiver fodder. Career sources: ESPN career stats · Wikipedia
Open questions
- When will the Lakers formally announce the reported agreement?
- Can Williams' 2025-26 steal rate survive without the same continuity and workload?