Exclusive: How Malik Williams addition has helped South Bay Lakers surge

The South Bay Lakers’ run in the G League playoffs has been bolstered by help from the Los Angeles Lakers, but it wouldn’t be possible without the team’s core group. Among South Bay’s most key contributors is Malik Williams, a talented big man with both NBA and G League experience.

Malik Williams did not begin the 2025-26 season on South Bay’s roster, instead he played with the College Park Skyhawks, the G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. He used his play to earn a two-way contract with the Hawks in late December, but he was ultimately cut when the team opted to sign Christian Koloko.

He rejoined College Park after being cut by the Hawks, and was then traded to South Bay in mid-February in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first round pick. With the departure of Kylor Kelley to pursue an overseas opportunity, South Bay had a major hole at center, one that Williams has helped fill.

“It’s been seamless almost, a quick turnaround and a quick switch, but the guys were opening and they welcomed me with open arms. Being an older guy running with a group of pretty much rookies, first and second year guys, I was able to come in and kind of assert myself a little easier,” Williams told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Just being a team player, being a guy they can lean on. Just give them knowledge. Just how accepting they were made it so easy.”

Since joining South Bay, Williams has provided the team with a needed interior presence. Even when the Lakers assign Drew Timme via his two-way contract, Timme slides to the four while Williams handles the interior responsibilities.

But he’s a versatile scorer as well. Williams can step outside and pop from 3-point range which allows Timme to also take advantage of his post play. With South Bay, he’s shooting 36.9 percent from the 3-point line, the second-highest mark of his G League career.

In South Bay’s opening-round playoff win last Wednesday, he finished with 21 points while shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-10 from the 3-point line.

When the Lakers players are assigned to South Bay, the team has no shortage of offensive options. Even without them, players like RJ Davis and Arthur Kaluma and Anton Watson, the core group, are able to score effectively. For Williams, his role has been to pick and choose his spots and find where he’s most efficient playing off his teammates.

“We got a lot of guys who can create, a lot of guys who can play. Minutes are gonna fluctuate, touches are gonna fluctuate, but just being that same guy was a key emphasis for me. Coming in, being a voice and being a leader for this group,” Williams said. “It gives me a breather as far as I got a lot of guys around me who can score, a lot of guys who can guard, I got a lot of trust in this group that I’m around.”

Malik Williams’ hoping for NBA opportunity

Williams didn’t appear in any games with the Hawks while on his two-way contract, but he did suit up in 29 games for College Park. But one of the key aspects of a two-way contract is even if players don’t necessarily get on-court opportunities, they’re still around their NBA team and still able to see the inner-workings of what it takes to really hold down a roster spot.

“It’s just about the work. Having your head down every day, believing in yourself and perfecting your craft. You got a lot of guys behind you that are trying to get in that same position, being at the same spot,” Williams said. “There’s always a target on your back when you reach that two-way, reach the NBA … there’s a target on my back because somebody wants my spot. So just staying hungry, staying humble and remembering what got me to this point. At the same time, remembering this is a business, never get too high, never get too low.”

Williams went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft after five seasons at Louisville. His first professional opportunity was overseas in Poland. The following year, he received an invite to tryout for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the affiliate of the Miami Heat. Although he did not initially make the roster, he returned to the team shortly after and earned a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors.

After his 10-day expired, the Raptors chose to keep him for the remainder of the season. He appeared in a total of seven games with the team, averaging 2.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes of play. Williams got a shot in training camp with the Heat at the start of the 2023-24 season, and ended up back with Sioux Falls after being one of the team’s final roster cuts.

He’s been right on the cusp of earning a coveted roster spot, and he knows what he needs to bring, via NBA personnel, to seize the opportunity.

“Having a super-high motor, being a guy that’s super reliable on offense, continuing to be able to stretch the floor and even finishing better around the rim,” Williams said. “But also, I think my voice is very impactful. Who I am with the guys and being able to just preach through my experiences is gonna be something that keeps me around. Being a good locker room guy cause we need that at the end of the day.”

In total, Williams has three years of G League experience across three different organizations. He’s had different coaches, different teammates and he’s got a good sense of how the competition in the league has evolved.

The G League has grown in stature and it wasn’t always seen as a positive thing amongst NBA players. It certainly wasn’t seen as a legitimate place to earn a roster spot in the NBA. But now, it’s almost the next best thing in terms of being visible and on the radar of NBA front offices. Williams is enjoying his time with South Bay, but he’s still got his eyes on the ultimate prize. South Bay can help him get there.

“I feel like you’re a day way. That’s what I always tell everybody. My first NBA call-up was super unexpected. It was at the end of the year, regular season was over. So I just try to tell everybody that you’re a day away,” Williams said. “Keep your head down, whether you’re the first guy on the bench or the last guy off the bench. Just continue to believe in yourself, continue to work. We’re literally a day away from getting that call and being where our dreams want to take us. Just stay down, keep the belief and it’s right there.”

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