The Los Angeles Lakers spent their summer adding youth, depth, and athleticism. While the pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga is still ongoing and far from close, the front office continues to make roster moves. This time, they signed a California native with a clear connection to Bronny James.

For weeks, the Lakers were keeping an eye on Ziaire Williams, and on Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the deal. With the franchise being hard-capped, they could only offer a minimum contract. The former Nets star accepted the one-year, $3 million deal.

The 24-year-old is a good defender, very athletic, and has the tools to contribute on both sides of the court. Offensively, he can open up the floor with the three, though he’s still inconsistent. And his roots with Bronny James can’t be ignored.

He was a teammate of Lakers guard Bronny James at Sierra Canyon High School. Before joining the HS team, Williams won a gold medal as a member of the USA U19 in 2019 and was the most sought-after college basketball prospect in California. The duo played an important role in winning the CIF Southern Section Open Division Final title.

Even when they were rivals in the NBA, the bond remained strong. The duo exchanged an embrace and their jerseys after the game. Williams shared it on his Instagram story,  “My Brudda 5L”. Bronny James also re-shared it with a two-word message: “My guyyy.”

Williams averaged 10.2 points and 22.9 minutes for the Nets last season and enters his sixth campaign. He is very good in isolation, solid with working passing lanes and chasing.

For a vet minimum, the Lakers have taken the right bet on an athletic 6’9 wing in his early 20s. The Purple and Gold’s spending spree is over $250 million for a complete overhaul.

They had previously added Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton. Once the Nets declined his $6.3 million team option, the Lakers were monitoring Williams.

Dan Woike of The Athletic reported, “New Orleans had made a push in recent days to sign the 24-year-old, but the chance to play for his hometown Lakers in a winning situation has him headed to LA.”

After Ziaire Williams, what about Jonathan Kuminga?

With Williams signing, all of the roster spots on the Lakers are now filled. Meaning they would need to shed a player or two to make room for Jonathan Kuminga.

Throughout the summer, Dalton Knecht or Jarred Vanderbilt were linked with an exit, which would eventually bring JK. Contractually, Knecht is still on a rookie deal with a $4.2 million cap hit, but Vanderbilt is more expandable in that sense with his $12.4 million contract.

Charania added that Los Angeles “continues to strongly pursue Jonathan Kuminga as a potential starting forward.” So, Williams’ deal won’t hamper the pursuit of Kuminga. Previous efforts included acquiring JK through a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

NBA insider Jake Fischer, during Sunday’s Bleacher Report livestream from NBA Summer League, reaffirmed the franchise’s belief in the Congolese forward.

“We bumped into someone yesterday familiar with the situation who talked about the Lakers’ excitement for what Collin Sexton can bring on the perimeter defensively, but they’re clearly still looking at Jonathan Kuminga as being their starting wing.”