Before the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics made a swing to solidify their frontcourt by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis. The move shook up the NBA landscape and tore down a core that had been together for over six seasons. The Celtics lost another piece of their core this week in the form of forward Grant Williams. Williams signed an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks for a four-year $53,000,000 deal that turned into a sign-and-trade between the Mavericks, Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs.
Why Boston decided not to match Williams’ offer hasn’t been confirmed, but plenty of rumors have circulated regarding why Brad Stevens and the company made that decision. According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics have landed themselves in more rumors regarding potential “seismic” moves in the future.
More Overall Flexibility
It was a basketball decision when the Celtics moved on from Marcus Smart. The more time has passed, the more it has become clear that the Celtics’ offensive struggles late in games (especially in the playoffs) were attributed to roster construction. Smart wasn’t the type of player defenses feared, allowing defenders to roam, sag or switch off Smart and onto Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
The rest of the offense crumbled when teams locked in on Tatum and Brown. Adding Porzingis gives Boston some diversity they hadn’t had before. Sure, Al Horford could pop out for a corner three. And sure, Robert Williams III can be an elite lob threat, but Porzingis provides both of those things while also being able to create his own shot. At the very least, he can shoot over the top of almost every defender.
Moving on from Williams was made more palatable by the addition of Porzingis. However, the motivation was primarily financial. Adding another $12,500,000 contract to an already expensive roster would have had the Celtics flirting with the second apron of the salary cap. In return, the Boston Celtics created a $6,297,070 traded player exception, which they can use to acquire a player in a trade later in the season. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Celtics also received two second-round picks in the sign and trade.
Will The Celtics Add Another Piece?
Grant Williams will mostly be remembered in Boston for his play in the postseason. Highlighted by a 27-point performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in 2022, Williams’ ability on both ends of the floor was an integral piece for the Celtics.
The Celtics prepared for Williams’ exit by signing forward Oshae Brissett and wing Dalano Banton in free agency. The Celtics also drafted Arkansas product Jordan Walsh in the second round of the NBA draft. Given the moves to replace Williams in the draft, they don’t necessarily move the needle that much. The Celtics seem to be banking on Porzingis being a significant impact on their success this season while Tatum and Brown continue to ascend.
With Damian Lillard requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this month, the Celtics have been rumored as a team who might want Lillard’s services. That move seems unlikely for many reasons, but mainly because the Celtics’ priorities are aligned elsewhere.
What Grant Williams Brings to Dallas
Grant Williams now has an opportunity to play next to Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. That will benefit both sides equally. Williams is an above-average three-point shooter (39% last season) with positional versatility on offense. He could realistically play at the three or four for 30-plus minutes a game while also playing some minutes as a small-ball five.
Williams will also benefit from the creation and gravity of Dallas’s two stars. Spacing will be key for Dallas, and Williams provides a floor spacer. Whether teams worry enough about Williams as an outside shooter will depend on consistent shot-making, but theoretically, Williams is a definitive upgrade over the wings they had last year.
Defensively Williams can hold his own against bigger and taller players. Although his perimeter defense took a step back this season, much of that might’ve had to do with the Celtics’ defense scheme changing when Joe Mazzulla took over for Ime Udoka. Nevertheless, Williams has shown flashes in the past of being able to stay in front of guards on switches.
Will Brown Get His Extension?
Other than talks reigniting around a Malcolm Brogdon trade, the next move is to extend Jaylen Brown. Brown has not been offered his potential five-year $295,000,000 extension. This has surprised some because other players like Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, and LaMelo Ball signed their extensions.
The minor details could be what needs ironing out. With the Celtics looking to be deep in the luxury tax for the foreseeable future, Stevens could be trying to save around the edges with incentives baked into Brown’s deal. The period the Celtics have to re-sign Brown is not very long. The clock runs out once teams report to training camp. Importantly, the Celtics can not extend Brown once the season starts.
Brown and Stevens were present for the first weekend of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Hopefully, for Celtics fans, talks were had in the desert, leading to signatures being inked soon. If not, rumors about trading Brown will continue to persist. If that happens, it will be a season full of discomfort between the Celtics and one of their stars.
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Matt Strout is a contributor to Back Sports Page. Matt studied Journalism and Sociology at Temple University for four years and graduated in May of 2022. While there, Matt wrote for multiple student and professional publications covering sports and the City of Philadelphia. Matt is originally from Maine and now resides in California. He has written content primarily for the NBA and PGA Tour. You can catch Matt frequently as a guest on the “Cut The Nets” podcast featured on the Back Sports Page network. When Matt is not writing, he enjoys cooking and playing golf. Follow Matt’s social media on Twitter @TheRealStrout or Instagram @matt_strout96
