Grant Williams, a veteran forward, has found a new NBA home with the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team trade involving the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, as reported by The Athletic. The deal sees Williams moving to Dallas in a sign-and-trade agreement on a four-year, $54 million contract. In return, the Celtics will receive multiple second-round draft picks, while the Spurs acquire Reggie Bullock and an unprotected 2030 pick swap from the Mavericks.
Williams, who was a restricted free agent, has spent his entire NBA career thus far with the Boston Celtics after being selected as the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He played a contributing role in the team’s recent postseason success. However, the Celtics recently acquired forward Kristaps Porzingis via trade, which likely made Williams expendable in their plans. Now, Williams will continue his career in Dallas, where he will be expected to provide floor-spacing and defense for a team that boasts two elite guards in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Irving recently signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mavericks.
On the other hand, Reggie Bullock, a career 38.4% 3-point shooter, will be joining his seventh NBA team after spending the past two seasons with the Mavericks. He brings his shooting ability and veteran leadership to a young San Antonio Spurs squad that features Victor Wembanyama, the top overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
While this trade may not be groundbreaking, it has the potential to benefit the Spurs, as well as the Mavericks, who have limited options in acquiring free agents.
In the offseason, the Mavericks made moves to strengthen their roster, trading forward Davis Bertans and the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 12 pick, which they used to select Duke big man Dereck Lively II. They also re-signed star point guard Kyrie Irving to a three-year, $126 million deal after acquiring him from the Brooklyn Nets in February. Dallas missed the playoffs last season after reaching the Western Conference finals in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Boston, on the other hand, acquired Kristaps Porzingis, who averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game last season, from the Washington Wizards in June and subsequently signed him to a two-year, $60 million extension.