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Celtics Rival Would ‘Love’ to Steal Grant Williams via Trade: Sources

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Grant Williams, Boston Celtics

Getty Grant Williams, Boston Celtics

Grant Williams is becoming somewhat of a hot commodity around the NBA due to the improvements he’s displayed on offense for the Boston Celtics to begin the season.

According to an Eastern Conference Executive, who spoke with Heavy on Sports Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the Miami Heat would ‘love’ to pry Williams away from the Celtics before the trade deadline.

“The Heat would love to get a hold of Grant Williams. But you know what? We all would. He is absolutely their kind of player, a tough and annoying and relentless defender who can also shoot. So, mutual interest, sure. Who would not want to go play for Erik Spoelstra on South Beach? But the Celtics are not trading him, and when the summer comes, the Heat won’t have the money to sign him. They can have all the interest they want. It is almost impossible for them to bring Williams in,” The executive said.

Williams, 24, has been an enormous part of the Celtics rotation this season, helping them get off to a 22-10 start, while averaging 9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 66.2% shooting from two-point range and an impressive 43.5% from beyond the perimeter.

Miami Heat Hold ‘Mutual Interest’ In Grant Williams

According to a November 4 report by Five Reason Sports’ Greg Sylvander, the Miami Heat hold a legitimate interest in potentially trading for Williams before the February trade deadline.

“The Miami Heat have honed in on Grant Williams as a player of interest via trade. There appears to be mutual interest in a potential move at some point this season, per sources. A third team may be needed to facilitate. (The) assumption is (the) Heat would acquire Williams with intent to extend him,” Sylvander reported via the ‘Off the floor’ update service. 

Unfortunately for the Heat, they are unlikely to have the necessary trade capital to entice Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office into making a trade, especially when the outgoing player has become a legitimate member of their rotation and the style of basketball they play.

Multiple Teams Have Interest In Grant Williams

According to a December 20 report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who was appearing on an episode of FanDuel Tv’s ‘Run It Back,’ Miami isn’t the only team to be showing an interest in potentially acquiring Williams.

“There’s strong interest, so I think there’s gonna be a market. When I talk to teams around the league, I think people are looking at him as something in that 15 to 17 million dollar range in an extension. He’s thriving right now in this hybrid role. He’ll start sometimes, and he’ll come off the bench most of the time. He’s able to thrive as a spot-up shooter. So, it’s gonna be curious to see if he does end up leaving or if he gets a bigger deal somewhere else.

Obviously, that puts him in a position to start, but where would that leave him? Would he play better? And I think teams feel like he could be more impactful on the offensive end doing a little bit more than just being a spot-up shooter. But, right now, he’s filling a perfect role for them. He’s thriving in that line-up. And I think, when you look at the cap space teams in the summer, the Orlando’s, the OKC’s, the Indiana’s — those are all teams that you can plug a Grant Williams in,” Charania said.

Of course, should Williams enter free agency and agree to a deal with a new team, the Celtics will have the opportunity to match any offer sheet, meaning they still hold a significant amount of control when it comes to their ability to keep Williams on their roster moving forward.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor

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