Multiple NBA rumors have been reported on the Mavericks seeking a win-now role player in exchange for the No. 10 pick. Now they may be working with Boston.
According to Tim Cato and John Hollinger of The Athletic, the Mavericks are looking at getting Grant Williams this offseason. Williams is a pending free agent whose role shrunk with this season with the Celtics. The Mavericks are in need of depth in their team. Williams is a solid defender who can space the floor with his 3-point shooting.
This could be a situation that benefits both teams due to the fact the Celtics do not really have room for him on their salary sheet, especially with an extension looking for Jaylen Brown. He would be nice to have if Robert Williams gets injured but at the end of the day, his big new salary is probably not worth keeping around.
The Celtics could end up getting small assets in return for the role player. The Mavericks would need in helping in getting the role player due to the fact that they would not have enough room to sign him out right.
Why would the Mavericks make this move?
The Mavericks are a team that has their core in Kyrie Irving (hopefully) and Luka Doncic going forward. For better or worse, it seems like Dallas is betting on their chances with Luka on Irving. With that being said, they need to be able to surround the player with talent. If Williams was on a fair deal, he could be a starting player/solid player who comes off the bench. This would also allow the team to make some more minor moves before signing him and Williams to longer-term deals.
The Celtics would be inclined in doing this deal based on the fact that they would be able to get a couple of seconds to help Dallas to get the player. This in turn could help them in their own sign and trade trade with the Wizards.
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