NBA: 5 Former free agents who will thrive with new teams in 2023-24
By Dalton Sell
NBA players who will thrive with new teams – Grant Williams, Dallas Mavericks
Grant Williams is the type of player that most contenders would love to have. He plays defense, hits outside shots, and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. There were plenty of rumors that he may not be returning to the Boston Celtics when the season ended, which came to fruition after the Dallas Mavericks pulled off a sign-and-trade for the forward. They signed him to a four-year deal worth $53.3 million, which is solid.
Williams is exactly the type of player that Dallas needs. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, they’ve got two excellent scorers leading the pack, but the team as a whole lacks defenders, especially on the wing. The 6-foot-6 Williams will immediately give them a forward who can take some of the pressure off of the team’s other players by picking up the slack defensively. He brings hard-earned experience from his four-year stay with the Celtics, which included a trip to the NBA Finals.
Getting Williams only helps solidify the notion that the Mavericks are having a stellar off-season. This team needed to nail their signings and trades, and they’ve done so to this point with several moves to address their needs. Williams is one piece to the puzzle that should help the Mavericks make it back to the NBA Playoffs next season.