Young NBA Players Who Might Need a Trade This Offseason | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Andrew Mccoy
Published Mar 23, 2026
Ziaire Williams is one of the best examples of how quickly things can change in the NBA.
Coming off a 2021-22 rookie campaign in which the then-20-year-old appeared in 62 games (starting 31) and averaged 9.5 points on a 46.6/36.2/80.0 shooting split after the All-Star break, it appeared he was a critical part of the Memphis Grizzlies' future.
Remember, this was a 56-win Grizz team that looked like a juggernaut in waiting. Williams had the makings of the rangy two-way combo forward every team covets, and he seemed ideally suited for a starting role next to a young, rising core.
As the Stanford product settled into a major role that year, Ja Morant made his first All-Star game, finished seventh in MVP voting and won Most Improved Player. Desmond Bane, then in his second season, finished fifth in MIP voting while averaging 18.2 points and hitting 43.6 percent of his threes. Jaren Jackson Jr. made the All-Defensive first team while leading the league with 2.3 blocks per game.
Heading into the following season, Williams was an easy breakout pick.
Injuries got in the way, though, limiting him to 37 games in 2022-23 and cutting his minutes from 21.7 to 15.4 per game. His shot abandoned him, and it didn't return in 2023-24 as he battled issues with his hip and back.
Meanwhile, this season's Grizzlies got eye-opening performances from GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr. and a handful of other young players. Going forward, Jackson and Williams Jr. have done enough to be viewed as equally or even more valuable than Williams. Plus, the Grizzlies dealt for Marcus Smart last offseason.
None of this is to say the book is closed on Williams becoming the impact player his rookie season suggested. But Memphis has alternatives now—cheaper and/or more experienced ones.
That could mean Williams and the Grizzlies (who need to start thinking about an extension or the possibility of restricted free agency in 2025) might be best off parting ways.
