NBA Rumors: Celtics, Mavs Talked Grant Williams Sign-And-Trade

The Grant Williams rumors continue to pile on with the NBA draft just days away and the Boston Celtics’ clock still ticking.

Williams has already garnered a batch of outside interest, which first rose to the surface during the regular season after he and the Celtics failed to agree on a long-term contract extension. It left the 24-year-old in search of the first payday of his young career. Now, those rumors continue to unravel.

The Dallas Mavericks have engaged in discussions with the Celtics regarding Williams, according to Tim Cato of The Atheltic:

One league source, granted anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told me Dallas has spoken with the Boston Celtics about a Grant Williams sign-and-trade. Dallas isn’t interested in using its pick to acquire him, and the team might decide against an offer — something more than the mid-level exception — that would be large enough that Boston wouldn’t match. But Williams makes plenty of sense in Dallas, and there may be other ways to complete that deal with Boston’s help if Dallas decides to seriously pursue it.

The Celtics are running out of reasons to retain Williams. Having already been rumored to be shopping the four-year pro, Boston needs to revamp its depth, which ideally should include upgrading Williams’ minutes with someone more reliable and offensively versatile. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Celtics to swing a Robert Williams-like contract (four years, $54 million) or possibly more in order to retain an at-best decent 3-and-D role player.

The most recent offseason developments also link Boston to Kristaps Porzingis in a potential blockbuster swap with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. With Porzingis attached to a $36 million player option, and the clock ticking for him to opt-in, the Celtics will be forced to navigate the financial logistics.

Therefore, letting someone else worry about paying Williams should be the next move, whether that’d be before or after the draft concludes on Thursday night.