3 Grizzlies who benefit most from Ziaire Williams trade to Nets

After three highly inconsistent seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Ziaire Williams finds himself heading outbound, as he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets Friday afternoon in exchange for tweener big Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic.

For the 22-year-old, this move to NYC serves as a fresh start to his career, as he's entering into a situation that many project to be the early stages of a full-blown rebuild and, in turn, a youth movement.

With this, new headman Jordi Fernandez can emphasize development in his first season at the helm and attempt to pull out the high-end potential that the long, lengthy, and naturally athletic Williams has shown flashes of having since being drafted 10 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

On the flip side, for the Grizzlies this presents many specific players with opportunities that, had such a trade not gone down, may not have presented themselves.

With this in mind, there are a few players, in particular, who could find themselves benefiting the most from the recent Ziaire Williams trade.

Memphis Grizzlies player No. 1) GG Jackson

While the expectation has consistently been that GG Jackson is heading toward taking on a large role within this Grizzlies rotation during their redemption campaign in 2024-25, now without the competition that Ziaire Williams' presence naturally created, it's all the more likely that his standing within coach Jenkins' pecking order is only bound to strengthen.

The 19-year-old is fresh off a phenomenal first season with the franchise where he broke onto the scene with impressive averages of 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds on 35.7 percent shooting from distance while earning an All-Rookie Second Team selection as well as a multi-year contract with the club as a result of his high-end productivity.

His impressive Summer League performances this offseason have only amplified the notion that Jackson may serve as more of an integral part of a healthy Grizzlies core alongside the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., and, following this trade with the Nets, it likely all but solidifies the idea that the coaching staff trusts him to fill the role they once hopes Williams would play.