The Dallas Mavericks were among the most active teams at the February 8 trade deadline. One of their biggest deals saw them shipping Grant Williams to the Charlotte Hornets. According to a new report, the Mavs were motivated to trade Williams after he “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.”
ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported February 9 on the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast that “the Grant Willams thing was a massive whiff.”
He said the Mavs were determined to move him.
“The fact they gave up a 2030 swap for Grant Williams and then dumped him as soon as they possibly could, which they were determined to dump him. Not just about getting P.J. Washington, they wanted to be out of the Grant Williams business,” McMahon said. “He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.”
McMahon also noted that “[Williams] switched from Luka’s to Tatum’s, by the way — his shoe selection.”
The full trade saw the Mavericks sending Williams, Seth Curry and a top-two protected 2027 first-round draft pick to the Hornets for P.J. Washington and two second-round picks, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Charlotte is trading PJ Washington to Dallas for package around Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a first-round pick, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
P.J. Washington vs. Grant Williams
Williams’ stint in Dallas did not go the way the Mavericks had hopped it would when they acquired him on a four-year, $54 million deal via sign-and-trade with the Boston Celtics.
In 2023-24, Williams’ shooting splits and rebounding numbers were both down from his four years in Boston. Though he still was converting 37.6% of his 3s, they were really the only offensive element of offense he brought to the Mavericks.
Washington isn’t the shooter Williams, 25, is — at least not consistently — but he is more athletic and will allow Dallas’ offense to be more fluid when he is on the floor. For example, Washington is much more capable of getting to the rim than Williams, and much more efficient when he does so.
This year, Washington, 25, is averaging 3.1 field goal attempts in the restricted area, where he is shooting 67.9%. By comparison, Williams is averaging 1.3 field goal attempts in the restricted area and shooting 61.9%.
On the season, Washington is averaging 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
The Addition of Daniel Gafford
The Mavericks’ other move landed them Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Richaun Holmes and their 2024 first-round pick (via the Thunder).
The Washington Wizards are nearing a deal to send Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks for Richaun Holmes and draft compensation, sources tell ESPN.
Gafford is averaging 10.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists so far this season. He is a very athletic and one of the better interior defenders in the league. He currently sits seventh in the league, averaging 2.2 blocks per game.
His rim protection should provide an immediate boost for the Mavericks, who currently allow 53.3 points per game in the paint, which is the 22nd worst mark in the league.
Gafford is also one of the most talented rollers in the league. Of players averaging at least two possessions per game as the roll man in the pick and roll, Gafford is second in the league generating 1.43 points per possession (PPP).
The Mavericks as a team currently generate 1.08 PPP on those plays, which is the eighth worst in the league.
Washington and Gafford will join the Mavericks who are currently on a three-game win streak. They face the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 10.
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Grant Williams ‘Rubbed a Lot of People the Wrong Way’ in Dallas: Report