When a player joins a team, you can tell a lot about him by the reaction of the team he just departed.
Think Jalen Brunson. The Mavericks and fans were crestfallen when he bolted in free agency for New York. And he has been big-time for the Knicks.
The same situation might work in reverse for Grant Williams.
The newest Maverick broke a lot of hearts by leaving the Boston Celtics and signing his new four-year, $54-million contract with the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade that also nets Dallas a couple of future second-round draft picks and sends Reggie Bullock to San Antonio, along with giving the Spurs a pick-swap in the 2030 draft.
Everybody knows what the Mavericks are getting in Williams on the court. At 6-6, he’s an athletic forward who can guard anybody and has shot a shade over 40 percent from three-point range over the last two seasons.
He embodies the term “3-and-D.”
Williams, 24, averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 79 games last season for the Celtics (23 starts, 25.9 minutes per game).
He has raised his scoring and rebounding averages in each of his first four seasons.
But fans will connect with the Tennessee product off the court, too. He has a magnetic personality and was well-versed as a media darling in Boston. He was voted on by media members covering the Celtics as the player who was most accommodating when it came to understanding the job of the people covering the team.
He once fielded questions in a group interview dressed head-to-toe as Batman, which is one of his nicknames.
Just listening to Williams is proof that he has a well-grounded outlook on his job and the NBA.
“My own personal goals have always been winning,” he said during an in-game chat with ESPN during the Mavericks’ Monday summer-league win over Philadelphia. “And make sure I make the locker room as light as possible because it’s a long season and we all have to have a certain level of joy and appreciation for one another.
“We’re fortunate to be on this team and be able to have some fun and hopefully win some games. We’ll be there to cheer each other on.”
Williams also is on the board of the NBA players association.
During his talk Monday, Williams said the prospects of playing with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving is tantalizing to him. And this is a guy who was alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston last season.
“With the star power we have, those two can carry games,” said Williams, who was drafted 22nd overall by the Celtics in 2019, the season after Irving left the Celtics. “And we also have a bunch of guys around them who can really impact the game. We got guys who can score and also guys who can defend. I think we’ll be very versatile.”
He’s also been blessed that he is coming from a historic NBA franchise in the Celtics to one that has the same number of championships as Boston over the last three decades.
“I’m excited to play with talents like Luka and Kyrie, both great personalities,” Williams said. “And then to be able to play with a great organization like Dallas. I remember growing up watching Dirk (Nowitzki) and guys like that, J-Kidd, which is kind of crazy to play for him.
“So it’s a special time for me. I’m just thankful to be with an organization that wants me and to be able to use my skills.”
Twitter: @ESefko
Below is the official Mavericks’ news release announcing the trade:
MAVERICKS ACQUIRE GRANT WILLIAMS
DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have acquired forward Grant Williams from Boston and second-round picks in 2025 and 2028 from San Antonio as part of a three-team sign-and-trade deal. San Antonio will acquire Reggie Bullock and a 2030 first-round pick swap from Dallas while Boston will receive a 2030 second-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick swap from Dallas and a 2024 second-round pick from San Antonio.
Williams (6-6, 236) holds career averages of 6.2 points (.451 FG%, .379 3FG%, .773 FT%), 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.2 minutes in 288 games (58 starts) with Boston. He posted career bests for points (8.1 ppg), rebounds (4.6 rpg), assists (1.7 apg), minutes (25.9 mpg) and 3-pointers made (115) in a career-high 79 games (career-best 23 starts) in 2022-23.
“Grant will bring a level of versatility and tenacity to our organization,” said General Manager Nico Harrison. “He has been battle tested in high-level NBA Playoff games and is committed to team success. His willingness to compete in every single facet of the game will complement our group well.”
Williams has played in the NBA Playoffs in each of his first four seasons, advancing to three Eastern Conference Finals (2020, 2022, 2023) and one NBA Finals (2022). His 61 career postseason appearances rank third on the Mavericks current roster behind Kyrie Irving and JaVale McGee (both with 74).
Over his final two seasons with the Celtics, Williams averaged 8.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 46.4% (421-908 FG) from the field, 40.3% (221-549 3FG) from 3-point range and 82.9% (180-217 FT) from the foul line.
Williams was selected by Boston with the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after a decorated college career at the University of Tennessee. He was named the SEC Player of the Year in each of his final two seasons with the Volunteers (2018, 2019), becoming the first player to do so since Corliss Williamson in 1995. As a junior in 2018-19, Williams posted career bests for points (18.8 ppg), rebounds (7.5 rpg), assists (3.2 apg), steals (1.1 spg), minutes (31.9 mpg), field goal percentage (.564) and free throw percentage (.819).
The Houston native is the son of Gilbert and Teresa Williams. His mother, Teresa, is an engineer for NASA and his father, Gilbert, is a jazz artist and former basketball player.
Williams will wear No. 3 for Dallas, while second-year guard Jaden Hardy will move to No. 1 this upcoming season.
Bullock (6-6, 205) appeared in 146 games (92 starts) for Dallas over the past two seasons and averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 29.2 minutes while shooting 37.0% (292-789 3FG) from beyond the arc.
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