Dallas — With Grant Williams seeking a big payday and a better chance last summer, the practicalities of staying with the Celtics always appeared difficult. The C’s finances were likely to be tight in the future, and their large roster meant Williams was occasionally buried in the rotation.
So Williams looked for his next move during limited free agency. He eventually signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade. However, it also meant bidding farewell to his sole NBA home, Boston. Before the Celtics beat the Mavericks on Monday, MassLive spoke with Williams, who reflected on his four-year stint with the Celtics from 2019 to 2023.
“It’s more like you never want to have any regrets,” Williams explained. “I believe we had three regrettable decisions up there. How we performed or stayed together for one year. It’s fortunate that you have opportunities to continue, but you clearly left us in a bad situation in terms of winning one. That would have been fantastic for us all.”
Williams said he believes he could have re-signed with the Celtics. He was outspoken about his desire to return to Boston, but financial constraints and other considerations made it difficult. In the Williams sign-and-trade with the Mavericks and Spurs, the Celtics acquired future draft capital as well as $6.2 million in transferred player exceptions. As Williams put it, they didn’t need to force a deal and were able to negotiate one that benefited both parties.
Williams had some incredible highs with the Celtics, reaching the East Finals in three of his four seasons, including the 2022 NBA Finals. He came out during the 2021–22 season, demonstrating 3-and-D abilities as a dynamic 6-foot-6 defender. There were.
Williams had some incredible highs with the Celtics, reaching the East Finals in three of his four seasons, including the 2022 NBA Finals. He came out during the 2021–22 season, demonstrating 3-and-D abilities as a dynamic 6-foot-6 defender. Despite troubles and hiccups, the 22nd pick in the 2019 draft had his moments in Boston and was well-liked in the locker room.
This summer, the Celtics made big changes to their core, parting ways with members such as Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III. All of the other ex-Celtics are now with their new teams, where they have run into one another. Earlier this season, Williams and Smart had dinner together, exactly as they did in Boston. However, there was little reflection, according to Williams.
“We don’t necessarily bring up our past just because, fortunately enough, we were able to maintain those relationships for the future,” Williams went on to say. “We can always talk about it 30 years later, when we’re sitting over there with whiskey or cigars or anything, about the times we could have been.
“But right now, we’re still in a state where we all want to compete and feel driven to be more than we are. So I believe that is where we need to feed each other, because we can no longer look back; we need to fuel each other to move forward.”
Williams has had an up-and-down season with the Mavericks since he hasn’t started any recent games. He’s been a little banged up, as have most NBA players at this juncture in the season. So far, his counting metrics have only increased slightly overall compared to the previous season. The Mavs play the Celtics in Boston on March 1, so Williams will visit his former stomping grounds at TD Garden for the first time.
“I’m enjoying it,” Williams remarked of Dallas. “It’s a terrific company, a great squad, and a group of individuals who genuinely want to win. It’s an opportunity to compete and take on a role that I didn’t have before. And in terms of performance, I definitely want to improve, get healthier, and get into better shape. But other from that, I’m simply concerned with the day-to-day. “We’ve got a long season.”
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