Getty Grant Williams #12 of the Boston Celtics.
Grant Williams and the Boston Celtics had until 6:00 PM on October 17 to agree to an extension. When the deadline passed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the two dies could not come to an agreement, meaning that Williams will enter the 2023 offseason as a restricted free agent should the Celtics extend a qualifying offer.
No rookie extension deals for Phoenix’s Cam Johnson, Charlotte’s P.J. Washington or Boston’s Grant Williams — all headed to restricted free agency next summer, sources tell ESPN.
Williams caught up with reporters on October 18, where he opened up on his feelings after not getting an extension. In short, Williams understands the situation from both his and the Celtics’ ends of it, so he has no hard feelings toward the team after the two sides could not come to an agreement.
“I think that for both sides, we all negotiated to get to that point. And there was no ill will. There were no frustrations. It was one of those things that you just couldn’t come to terms. It doesn’t mean that a deal doesn’t get done next year. It doesn’t mean a deal won’t get done in the future.”
Williams also made it clear that he wants his next contract to not reflect badly on players who have skillsets similar to his.
“For us, it’s a matter of perspective. I want to make sure that not only this deal that I take is something I feel confident in, but it’s something that doesn’t mess up the market for guys that do the things that I do.”
Since Brad Stevens took over as President of Basketball Operations, he’s given extensions to Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Josh Richardson. Williams will be the first Celtic to presumably enter restricted free agency since Terry Rozier in 2019.
Exec Explains Why Boston Did Not Extend Williams
An Eastern Conference executive explained to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney why the Celtics decided to not to extend Williams.
“You can understand from Boston’s angle, this is a role player. We don’t want to overpay him. We’re already shelling out a lot of money. So if they go through the restricted free-agency process, you might save a couple of million dollars per year, and for them, that is going to mean $8 or $10 million going forward,” the exec said.
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Grant Williams is lucky to not be injured after this 🙌
The exec also added the risk that the Celtics are taking by letting Williams enter restricted free agency.
“The problem for them is, his market is already around $15 million per year, and if he plays a lot this year with Robert Williams out and (Al) Horford probably resting, he is going to have a chance to put up numbers,” the exec told Deveney. “Next summer, maybe his market is $18 million a year or around there, and now you have cost yourself money.”
Williams Previews Season Opener
While talking about how he and the Celtics will approach this season, Williams talked about what to expect from their opponent in their season opener, the Philadelphia 76ers.
“For us, it’s all about perspective. We focus on the fact that we are zero and zero. Don’t look at last year. Don’t look at next year. Don’t look at the playoffs and focus on every single game one by one. This team is a talented team that we can’t look past. Philadelphia, they have a bunch of talented players, but also have a good coaching staff. They have a good group of development guys, so for us, it’s just a matter of going out there and competing,” Williams said.
The Celtics have faced the 76ers in the season opener multiple times in the past decade, which include 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2022.
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Grant Williams Sends Strong Message Following No Extension From the Celtics