NBA
The Dallas Mavericks are not sad to see Grant Williams go
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated5 hours ago on April 26, 2024
The Dallas Mavericks were one of the most active teams during the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. One of those moves involved parting ways with Grant Williams (and a lightly protected first round pick) in exchange for PJ Washington.
It’s sad to see players go. But at the end of the day, the NBA is a business. And trades are a big part of that business. However, when the Mavericks parted ways with Williams, it appears as though they weren’t too upset that he would no longer be on the roster.
Loud And Out Of Shape
On Wednesday, it was reported by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that people within the Dallas Mavericks were not the biggest fans of Williams and his more bashful nature.
People within the Dallas Mavericks were turned off by Grant Williams' 'yapping,' and he was reportedly not in good shape, per @espn_macmahon
“I would say one of the ways that Grant Williams rubbed people the wrong way, the yap, yap, yapping obviously that’s kind of part of it… pic.twitter.com/uJeJ4xgDq6
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 14, 2024
“I would say one of the ways that Grant Williams rubbed people the wrong way, the yap, yap, yapping obviously that’s kind of part of it with him,” McMahon told Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast. “Which it’s charmingly obnoxious if he’s productive and it’s grating when he’s not. But he didn’t report in good shape and Grant Williams not in good shape is not a good defender.”
Let’s Not Get Carried Away
To be fair, Williams isn’t completely innocent in all of this. He has also thrown some shade at the Mavericks since being traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Grant Williams enjoys playing with the Charlotte Hornets
“It’s great to get a win for the city and play for the jersey that’s across your chest, not on your back. Everybody touched the ball, we trusted one another.” pic.twitter.com/b7ay8gOdbq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 12, 2024
However, one can’t help but feel that the criticism of Williams as a player has gone a little too far.
Williams is an incredibly passionate guy, which can be great in the right locker room. He’s also a good spot-up shooter, and his size and physicality can be immensely beneficial in the right matchup.
Yes, his enthusiasm didn’t fit in Dallas, and it was further exacerbated by the cold shooting stretch he’s undergone over the last few months. But we need to be careful not to get too low on him as a player.
This whole situation is analogous to the one that transpired between Dillon Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies this past offseason. Williams, while not quite the player Brooks is, does (like Brooks) offer a lot of off-court and on-court skills that can help bad teams learn how to be good.
All this is to say that you need to be mindful when you think/speak poorly of Williams. Just because it didn’t work out for him in Dallas doesn’t mean he can’t be a valuable asset to a different team.
