As we inch closer to the 2023 NBA offseason no matter how the fortunes of the Boston Celtics go in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the issue of reserve forward Grant Williams’ next contract looms ever larger. And while the consensus seems to be that the soon-to-be restricted free agent will be back in the fold on an affordable deal for Boston, it is by no means guaranteed.
In a recent article breaking down the potential free agencies of the league’s best wings for the coming offseason, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus had plenty to say about the Charlotte native. “Williams may be one of the most challenging cases to predict this offseason, with his role diminishing in the Celtics’ playoff rotation,” wrote the B/R analyst.
Buy Celtics Tickets“Is he the kind of player a team with cap space would chase, or does Boston hold all the leverage?” asks Pincus, alluding to the potential of a team with cap space to upset that narrative.
The Hick From French Lick (as Larry Bird was lovingly called as a nickname) could get in his opponent’s head with trash talk. https://t.co/FjUCWHZcbY
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 4, 2023
And while the abovementioned consensus doesn’t point to an obvious suitor, there could be other routes for the Tennessee alum to bet on himself.
“Williams can always accept a one-year, $8.5 million qualifying offer to explore unrestricted free agency next season, though that’s probably a last resort,” writes the analyst.
Given Williams has re-emerged onto Boston postseason rotation, a consistent role matching his solid play of late ought to make that a non-issue — but one never knows the inner workings of another’s mind in such situations.
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