Getty Grant Williams
The Milwaukee Bucks made two trades at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, but according to Grant Williams, they almost made another.
During his appearance on NBA on TNT, the Charlotte Hornets forward admitted that the Bucks tried to get him.
“We figured out what team would look the best, and Charlotte was the best opportunity,” Williams said. “I think the only other team that probably would’ve been an option was Milwaukee, but the deal fell through.”
Williams agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He lasted half the season before the Hornets acquired him for PJ Washington. The Bucks traded for Patrick Beverley and traded away Robin Lopez to open a roster spot, which they used on Danilo Gallinari.
Acquiring Williams would have required some moving parts on the Bucks’ part. Milwaukee was fresh out of draft assets because they traded them all away for mostly Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard.
Whether or not he would have helped Milwaukee is up for debate. The Bucks’ season didn’t turn out the way they wanted, but injuries played a factor there. Williams may have shored up their frontcourt depth. His ability to stretch the floor could have made the offense a little more dynamic in the halfcourt.
Bucks Were Linked to Grant Williams: Report
Williams’ ties to the Bucks are not new in 2024. NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Bucks and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Williams and Bobby Portis on February 5.
“The Bucks and Mavericks, league sources say, have held exploratory discussions on a trade that would swap Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis Jr. and Dallas newcomer Grant Williams.”
Stein included an update revealing that it would have taken more than the Mavericks and Bucks to make such a deal.
“One source briefed on the process, confirming discussions between the teams after this story posted, indicated that Milwaukee is unwilling to swap Portis for Williams straight up, meaning that a simple one-for-one trade construction would likely have to be expanded to include other players to advance these talks.”
The Bucks may very well make some wholesale changes, but Williams is likely off the table for the time being.
Grant Williams Helped Eliminate Bucks in 2022
Williams is considered a Bucks killer because of how he and the Boston Celtics eliminated the Bucks in 2022.
With the Celtics-Bucks series tied at three games apiece in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Williams set some playoff career-highs. He put up a career-high of 27 points because of seven three-pointers. His surprise performance led to a Celtics blowout victory to help the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though Williams hasn’t put up such a performance in the postseason since then, his play then factored into his next contract in free agency. It also may have factored into why the Bucks had interest in acquiring him from the Mavericks.
Williams’s departure from the Celtics could have been the difference had the Celtics and Bucks met in the playoffs again. The Bucks could very well get their shot to avenge their loss in 2025.