Grant Williams says goodbye to Celtics, fans on social media
"Thank you for your belief in me and support through all of our seasons of basketball and life."
After getting dealt to the Mavericks last week in a sign-and-trade swap, former Celtics forward Grant Williams bid farewell to his former team on social media over the weekend.
The 24-year-old Williams spent the first four seasons of his career with Boston, becoming a key cog off the bench during the Celtics’ last two playoff runs. Along with his value as a stingy defender with an effective 3-point shot, Williams became a fan favorite thanks to his off-the-court antics.
On Saturday, Williams took to Twitter to thank both the Celtics and Boston’s fanbase before he begins the next chapter of his career in Dallas.
“To the Celtics, the city and my brothers: Thank you for your belief in me and support through all of our seasons of basketball and life,” Williams tweeted. “I’m beyond grateful to have been a part of this organization & will forever have love for the people that surrounded me in this experience.”
Williams, who signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Mavericks to help facilitate last week’s trade, averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game over his 288 career games with the Celtics.
Williams’ close friend and former teammate Jayson Tatum shared a photo of Williams on his Instagram story after the deal went through.
“My brotha for life!,” Tatum wrote. “Genuine to the core. Sick about it but happy as hell for you and your family! Much deserved love ya Brodie! Till we link up again!”
Dealing Williams and remaining below the second tax apron in the NBA’s new CBA stood as a logical move for Boston, even if the return was just a pair of second-round picks.
But that hasn’t stopped some ESPN analysts from voicing their displeasure at the move, especially when coupled with Boston’s decision to also deal Marcus Smart last month.
“I think this is a very bad day for them from a roster standpoint,” Tim Bontemps said on “The Lowe Post” podcast. “Grant Williams has proven he can play in the playoffs. He’s on a contract that, by the end of it, might be fringe rotation money.
“So, you look at that and yeah, Grant Williams might not have played all of the time for this team. But he’s a very healthy guy, he’s durable, he’s versatile, he can play off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He’s an excellent spot-up shooter, particularly in the corners. He can guard all across the positional spectrum. They put him on guards. They put him on centers. He guarded Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid at times in the playoffs to show his versatility.”
Former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins believes that the loss of both Smart and Williams has significantly weakened Boston’s toughness on the court.
“You need dogs in order to win a championship. The Celtics this past offseason just got rid of two pit bulls that they had in the locker room in Marcus Smart and Grant Williams. You can’t replace that,” Perkins said on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “I don’t care about guys that play hard. That’s another thing. If you play hard and have tenacity, the noise talking, the get in your face, not being afraid to ruffle feathers — you can’t replace that.”
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