Report: Celtics to trade Grant Williams to Mavericks in three-team sign-and-trade deal
The Celtics did not get the first-round pick they were trying to hold out for , but they did about as well as they were going to in trading a restricted free agent.
Grant Williams has agreed to a sign-and-trade sending him to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal also involving the Spurs, a story broken by Shams Charania of The Athletic . Williams is signing a four-year, $54 million extension — four years at the mid-level exception — to complete the deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of EPSN .
The trade shakes out like this:
• The Mavericks receive: Grant Williams, two second-round picks
• The Spurs receive: Reggie Bullock, a 2030 pick swap (unprotected)
• The Celtics receive: Two second-round picks
Some quick thoughts on the trade:
• Dallas has had a good offseason and this adds to it. Williams is a switchable defender who can guard two through five and hit the 3, shooting 39.5% from deep last season. On a team with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, having a multi-positional defender who can knock down 3s is a great fit. He does not impress anyone who just looks at the counting stats (8.1 points per game last season) but people who watched the Celtics a couple of seasons ago see the possibilities.
• In other moves this offseason, the Mavericks re-signed Kyrie Irving, signed sharpshooter Seth Curry as well as Dante Exum and Dwight Powell, traded for Richaun Holmes, drafted Olivier-Max Prosper and Dereck Lively, plus traded for Richaun Holmes. They also have an offer sheet out on Matisse Thybulle . Those are all good fits around Dončić and Irving — if that duo can mesh this will be a dangerous team in the West next season.
• The move keeps the Celtics below the second tax apron.
• The backup forwards for Boston right now are Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton. That's concerning.
• The Spurs pick up a 2030 pick swap for essentially nothing. Nice work if you can get it.
• Expect the Spurs to try and flip Bullock for another pick or young player, but if they have to start the season with him on the roster that is still a good fit.
