Grant Williams was a big acquisition that the Dallas Mavericks made last summer and some people envisioned him as the missing piece that could assist both Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic and help the team reach its next level.
In the end, he played in just 47 games for the team before being shipped off to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday afternoon.
According to Tim MacMahon, via NBACentral, Williams wore out his welcome in Dallas rather quickly.
The team was reportedly “determined” to cut Williams loose because he “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.”
The Dallas Mavericks were 'determined' to part ways with Grant Williams after he 'rubbed a lot of people the wrong way,' per @espn_macmahon
Notably, he also switched his basketball sneakers from Luka's to Tatum's signature shoes
(Via https://t.co/5VZnKfl8WP) pic.twitter.com/QlbmE3G3RF
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 9, 2024
In Thursday’s trade, the Mavericks landed P.J. Washington and two future second-round picks from the Hornets for Williams, Seth Curry, and also a 2027 first-round pick.
When the Mavericks signed Williams, they saw a lot of upside to the forward.
During his four seasons with the Boston Celtics, he averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists and became a reliable offensive and defensive threat from the bench.
He got off to a good start in Dallas, recording 14 points per game at the start of the season.
But things had gotten much rockier for Williams since the beginning of November and he has averaged just 6.9 points since then.
Perhaps he wasn’t playing as well because his chemistry with the rest of the team had worn off.
It’s not entirely clear what Williams did to upset his teammates, although MacMahon noted that he recently swapped his sneakers from Luka’s brand to the signature line from his former teammate Jayson Tatum.
Sometimes players just don’t fit with others and the camaraderie isn’t there.
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