The Dallas Mavericks flamed out toward the end of the 2022-23 NBA season as they missed the playoffs and went into the offseason with more questions than answers.
The Mavericks tried to save their season by trading for Kyrie Irving but his partnership with Luka Doncic didn’t go according to plan as the two stars struggled to find synergy on the court.
Dallas ended up re-signing Irving to a three-year deal in free agency, but they also managed to add another key player in Grant Williams.
The Mavericks acquired Williams in a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, giving him a four-year, $53 million contract once the move was made official.
Williams had started to lose minutes towards his tenure with Boston, but figures to come in and play a prominent role for Dallas.
The forward hasn’t been with his new team for very long, but he sent an encouraging message to the organization and its fans via his Twitter account.
“Feels good to be in blue,” Williams tweeted.
Feels good to be in blue pic.twitter.com/0pJ5eHP7Qm
— Grant Williams (@Grant2Will) September 13, 2023
Despite being undersized, Williams is a versatile defender who can also make defenses pay with his 3-point shooting from the corners.
A quintessential role player, Williams projects as a seamless fit next to Doncic and Irving as he doesn’t need the basketball in his hands to be productive.
Defense will be Williams’ main contribution to the team as the Mavericks struggled on that end last season.
The Western Conference looks as tough as ever, so Dallas is fortunate to have someone like Williams on the roster to help them navigate the top teams.
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