Stanford Forward Ziaire Williams Declares for NBA Draft

Stanford freshman Ziare Williams announced his decision to declare for the 2021 NBA draft on Wednesday.

"It's always been a dream and a goal for me to play at the next level," Williams wrote on Instagram. "I felt if I worked as hard as I possibly could, eventually God would make clear his plan for me and I should trust in that plan. With some reflection, discussion, and prayer, I feel like the time is right." 

In the post, Williams also said he plans on returning to Stanford to finish his degree in order to fulfill a promise. 

"I still have intentions of coming back and earning my degree," Williams wrote. "I promised my mom that I would and I'll stay true to my word."

Williams averaged 10.7 points per game in his 20 games this season for the Cardinal. He was a five-star recruit before committing to Stanford after being named a McDonald's All American in 2020. Stanford finished seventh in the Pac-12 in 2020–21 at 14–13.

The 2021 NBA draft will be held on July 29 at 8 p.m. ET. The draft lottery will be conducted on June 22.

SI’s tournament newsletter analyzes everything you need to know about the Big Dance: what just happened and what’s happening next. Sign up for Morning Madness here.