Getty Grant Williams, Ja Morant, Boston Celtics
Grant Williams is currently going through a rough patch with the Boston Celtics and has seen his role within the rotation diminish in recent weeks.
On March 12, an eagle-eyed Celtics fan noticed Williams most recently liked a Tweet, which was centered around Dallas Mavericks big man Christian Wood’s recent reduction of role and how it will affect his foray into the free agent market at the end of the season.
Yikes
“Grant, do you think the Mavs are trying to tank Woods value so he’s basically forced to sign the extension? I know we don’t want that to be the case but this seems like something deeper than Kidd,” Twitter user @dabbajones wrote in a reply to a thread with Dallas beat writer Grant Afseth.
Williams, like Woods, is set to become a (restricted) free agent at the end of the current season and has also seen his role become marginalized in recent weeks. By liking the Tweet, Williams could be taking a cryptic shot at the Celtics coaching staff, but that is nothing more than conjecture on the part of Celtics fans.
Williams Is Currently Nursing an Elbow Injury
According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Williams is dealing with the lasting effects of an elbow injury that he originally sustained during Boston’s February 12 contest against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Grant Williams has been struggling to find his role, but he’s also nursing a ligament strain in his shooting elbow exacerbated by inflammation in the surrounding muscle, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA.
So how do Grant & the Celtics figure out their rut?
“Williams has been struggling with a ligament strain in his shooting elbow exacerbated by inflammation in the surrounding muscle, league sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic…Williams had to stop lifting heavy weights for several weeks, though he returned to his normal routine before re-aggravating the injury in practice before Sunday’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks in which he played 45 minutes. According to those sources, throughout this injury, Williams has experienced discomfort turning or grabbing with his right hand,” Weiss wrote on March 8.
Since that game, Williams has seen his production take a dip, with the Tennessee native averaging 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 37.5% shooting from the field and 37.1% from the perimeter.
Grant Williams Could Ask For $20 Million
On February 13, longtime NBA writer Marc Stein reported that Williams could be looking for a contract in the region of $20 million per season on his next deal as the versatile forward looks to cash in on his recent improvements.
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” The Celtics, to no one’s surprise, did not trade Grant Williams. Making minor tweaks was the understandable preference for the defending Eastern Conference champions when they ranked as the league’s only team with a win total in the 40s entering Monday’s play. Yet rumbles persist that various teams are monitoring the situation and curious about Williams’ future there. Williams is poised to become a restricted free agent this summer and said to be seeking a contract in the Keldon Johnson-in-San Antonio, $20-million-annually range,” Stein reported.