Reflecting on his time in Boston, the former big man for the Celtics considers his regrets.
Dallas — It always seemed difficult for Grant Williams to stay with the Celtics since he was searching for a bigger opportunity and a higher salary last summer.
Williams was occasionally left out of the rotation because of the C’s deep lineup and impending financial difficulties.
Williams used his limited free agency to look for his next move. In the end, he was able to sign a sign-and-trade deal worth $54 million with the Mavericks for four years.
However, it also meant bidding farewell to the only NBA residence he was aware of in Boston.
Prior to the Celtics’ victory over the Mavericks on Monday, MassLive spoke with Williams, who offered his reflections on his four-year stint with the team from 2019 to 2023.
Williams stated, “It’s more about wanting to never have any regrets.” “It seems like there were three things that we truly regretted up there.
How we behaved or how long we stayed together—a year or more.
Although you have options to continue, it’s unfortunate that you left in a sour manner, given how much we wanted to win one.
We could have all benefited greatly from that.
Williams stated that he believes there’s a chance he could have signed with the Celtics again.
He was honest about his desire to go back to Boston, but there were obstacles to overcome, including money.
In the end, the C’s acquired future draft capital and generated a $6.2 million traded player exception in the Williams sign-and-trade with the Mavericks and Spurs.
Williams stated that they were able to come to an agreement that benefited both parties and didn’t require them to push any deals.
With the Celtics, Williams experienced some incredible highs as he advanced to the East Finals in three of his four seasons, including the NBA Finals in 2022.
In the 2021–22 season, he made a splash by demonstrating his 3-and-D abilities as a flexible 6-foot-6 defender.
The 22nd pick in the 2019 draft had his moments while in Boston, and he was well-liked in the locker room despite some setbacks and difficulties.
This summer, the Celtics made major changes to their core, cutting ties with players like Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart.
The other former Celtics players are now all with their new teams, where they have already crossed paths.
Williams and Smart had dinner together earlier this season, exactly like they did when they lived in Boston. However, Williams claimed that there wasn’t much introspection.
According to Williams, “We don’t necessarily bring up our past just because we were fortunate enough to be able to maintain those relationships for the future.”
“We can always discuss it and the times we may have been in thirty years when we’re sitting over there enjoying cigars or whiskey or anything like that.
However, we’re still competitive and very motivated to be better than we are right now.
We can’t look back at this point, so I believe that’s where we need to support one another in order to move on.
Williams’ season with the Mavericks has been inconsistent thus far, as he hasn’t been in the starting lineup in a number of games.
He has been a little injured, but most NBA players are at this stage of the season. His total counting stats have only slightly increased so far this season in comparison to the previous one.
Williams will visit his former TD Garden home for the first time when the Mavericks take on the C’s in Boston on March 1.
Regarding Dallas, Williams remarked, “I’m enjoying it.”
“It’s a fantastic group of guys who genuinely want to win, along with a fantastic team.”
I get to compete and take on a role that I have never had before. In terms of performance, I also want to get in better shape, get healthier, and perform better.
I’m simply focusing on the day-to-day, other than that. It’s a lengthy season.
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