Stanford Professional Athletes

Before he's played a single regular-season minute in purple and gold, Ziaire Williams has made himself the most talked-about new Laker — on the court and off it.

The Basketball Case

Williams, 25, arrived in Los Angeles this offseason as a bargain free-agent signing, but the buzz around him has been anything but budget. The 6'10" small forward is in the mix to crack the Lakers' starting lineup, and the early returns from training camp have been glowing. Per Heavy Sports, Williams has been labeled a "real weapon" by those around the team — a mismatch threat whose size and skill set give the Lakers a dimension they've been missing.

The timing matters. LA has been weighing whether to pursue PJ Washington via trade to fill a wing starter role, but Williams' emergence could make that move unnecessary — and far less costly. If he performs, the Lakers would be getting a starter-caliber contributor at a fraction of the price Washington would command.

It's not just the front office taking notice. Luka Dončić, who arrived in Los Angeles via trade last season and is now the face of the franchise, has made clear he's excited about what Williams brings. Per Yahoo Sports, Dončić sounded openly thrilled about Williams and fellow new addition Matisse Thybulle — praise from a two-time MVP that carries real weight in a locker room.

Williams himself has spoken publicly about the mindset driving him, framing his approach as one that could directly address one of the Lakers' most pressing concerns heading into the 2026–27 season, according to Sports Illustrated. That kind of self-awareness and buy-in tends to resonate during training camp.

When the preseason opened against the Sacramento Kings — a 127–103 Lakers blowout — Williams was among the standouts, adding to the growing sense that he isn't just a camp body competing for minutes, but a legitimate rotation piece with starting upside.

Off the Court

If Williams needed any more goodwill in Los Angeles, he got it the old-fashioned way: romance. During the offseason, the Stanford product proposed to his girlfriend, Paris Timan, at SoFi Stadium during a Bruno Mars concert residency. The moment went viral, and LA — a city that loves a good story — welcomed it warmly.

For a new arrival trying to establish himself in a market this large, the cultural footprint matters. Williams is building one fast.

The Stanford Watch

Williams is the clear headliner among Stanford's NBA alumni this week, but he's not the only Cardinal suiting up. Harrison Ingram is with the Jazz, Maxime Raynaud and KZ Okpala are on Kings rosters, Brook Lopez is with the Clippers, Robin Lopez and Cormac Ryan are in Milwaukee, and Dwight Powell is in Dallas. No notable news emerged from those corners of the league during this stretch — but with preseason tipping off across the league, that'll change fast.

For now, Williams is carrying the Stanford banner, and he's doing it loudly.

Stanford's NBA footprint entering the 2026-27 season runs through two franchises with very different timelines — but both Cardinal alumni have something to prove when tip-off arrives.

Ziaire Williams, Lakers: The Buzz Is Real

The most talked-about Stanford alumnus in the NBA right now isn't playing for a blue blood program. He's playing for the Lakers, on a veteran minimum deal, and somehow he's one of the hottest names in training camp.

Ziaire Williams, the 6'10" small forward who signed with Los Angeles in July after two seasons with the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, confirmed during camp that he's bulked up to 215 pounds — a reported 30-pound muscle gain from his previous listed weight. The physical transformation has been hard to ignore, and so has his play.

Austin Reaves, one of the Lakers' most respected voices in the locker room, singled out Williams as among the best defenders in camp — praise that carries real weight. Head coach JJ Redick has also taken notice, with both pointing to Williams alongside Matisse Thybulle and Adou Thiero as early drivers of the team's defensive identity. Per the LA Times, the Lakers' early training camp defensive prowess has impressed staff and veterans alike.

The logical next step is a starting role. Williams is now widely tipped to slot into the starting lineup as a 3-and-D wing, filling a void left by LeBron James' departure and addressing one of the team's most glaring positional needs. He's also leaning into the homecoming element — a Lancaster, CA native, Williams called it a "blessing" to play for the Lakers in front of friends and family.

There's longer-term intrigue here too. If Williams performs, the Lakers reportedly have financial mechanisms in place that could allow them to retain him beyond this season — an insurance policy the franchise has historically lacked for young wing contributors.

Williams himself has already issued a warning to the rest of the league about what this revamped Lakers defense can do. Given the camp chatter, it may be wise to listen.

Maxime Raynaud, Kings: High Stakes, New Chapter

While Williams is riding a wave of momentum, fellow Cardinal big man Maxime Raynaud is entering what figures to be a defining year in Sacramento.

The Kings' young frontcourt piece had a substantial offseason — one that Sports Illustrated described as pivotal in shaping his trajectory with the franchise. The details of that offseason set up 2026-27 as a critical audition for Raynaud, who is at the stage of his development where production needs to match potential.

With KZ Okpala also on the Kings' roster in a depth role, Stanford has a small but notable presence in Sacramento. Raynaud, however, is the one with the most to gain — or lose — in the months ahead.

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The Cardinal's NBA class this cycle is a study in contrasts: one player generating legitimate starting-caliber buzz on a contender, another facing the pressure of justifying his place on a team still searching for its identity. Both storylines are worth watching as the regular season approaches.

Ziaire Williams Is Making Noise in L.A.

Stanford wing Ziaire Williams arrived in Los Angeles this offseason as a depth piece, but the conversation around him has shifted considerably as Lakers training camp approaches. Multiple reports are framing the former Cardinal as a legitimate candidate for the team's fifth starting spot — the most unsettled position on a roster otherwise built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The case for Williams is straightforward: he's an uber-athletic wing with the size and defensive versatility the Lakers covet. Yahoo Sports laid out the argument explicitly, citing his athleticism and fit alongside L.A.'s core as reasons to take him seriously for a starting role. That's a significant leap in profile for a player who has spent his career searching for consistent footing in the league.

It isn't a coronation, though. Heavy Sports published a piece urging the Lakers to move on from their current "polarizing" 6'7" starter — framing the fifth spot as genuinely open — while a separate Heavy report noted that Quentin Grimes currently holds the starting small forward job, with Matisse Thybulle and Williams occupying depth roles behind him. The Lakers are also reportedly closing in on a trade for an additional wing option, which could complicate Williams' path to the lineup.

Still, the sheer volume of coverage dedicated to Williams' potential — including a Yahoo Sports feature on whether he's primed for a breakout season — signals that the basketball world is at least watching. For a player selected 10th overall in 2021 who has yet to fully deliver on that draft pedigree, a starting opportunity with a marquee franchise would be the highest-stakes audition of his career.

Training camp is the next proving ground. Williams won't need to win the job in September, but how he looks once the reps begin will go a long way toward determining whether these reports age well or read like preseason wishful thinking.

The Rest of the Cardinal in the NBA

Williams is the only Stanford alum currently generating significant league-wide buzz, but the Cardinal's NBA footprint remains notable heading into the 2026-27 season. Brook Lopez returns to the Clippers at center after his long run in Milwaukee, while twin brother Robin Lopez remains with the Bucks. Harrison Ingram is with San Antonio, Dwight Powell with Dallas, and Maxime Raynaud and KZ Okpala are both on Sacramento's roster. Cormac Ryan rounds out the group in Milwaukee.

None of those names are making headlines at the moment — but Williams is doing enough for the whole alumni group right now.