NBA Exec Kicks Around Idea For Grant Williams’ Next Celtics Contract

Grant Williams made huge strides for the Boston Celtics in his third NBA season.

So, while he’s under contract for the 2022-23 campaign, it’s plausible the Celtics eventually will pursue a long-term contract extension with the 23-year-old forward.

And what would Williams’ next deal look like? Well, an anonymous Eastern Conference executive recently weighed in on the subject while speaking with Heavy.com.

“He has played so well but you know, you see his limitations, too,” the NBA exec told Heavy.com. “In the end, his number is going to be somewhere around what Robert Williams got, four years and $45-$50 million. He is very good at what he does, he does a good job filling in as a starter, but off the bench is his best role. They will be fair to him and I don’t think either side will play hardball there.”

The Celtics have been proactive about locking up homegrown talent in recent years, with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III among those inking new deals with Boston. The C’s ultimately could follow suit with Grant Williams, who has evolved into a key contributor off the bench since being drafted 22nd overall in 2019.

The executive floated Robert Williams’ contract — a four-year, $54 million deal signed in August 2021 — as a comparable. Grant Williams doesn’t have the same ceiling as Robert Williams, an up-and-coming center who was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team this season, but the former definitely provides value on both ends of the floor in addition to being highly regarded in Boston’s locker room.