Report: Grant Williams is unlikely to receive contract extension from Boston Celtics
Part of why the Boston Celtics have been able to rise up the Eastern Conference ranks is their ability to find talent in the draft. While they've brought in big-name free agents over the years, the majority of their core has been developed in-house.
Along with finding star-level talent at the top of the draft, the Celtics also had success with later picks. Some examples of this include Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams.
Last season, Williams proved to be one of the Celtics' top role players. He posted career-highs in points (7.8), rebounds (3.6) and assists (1) while shooting a stellar 41.1% from beyond the arc.
While Williams has developed nicely during his time in Boston, it appears the franchise does not see him as a key piece moving forward. While diving into the trade market for Phoenix Suns veteran Jae Crowder, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports mentioned the Celtics as a possible landing spot.
While discussing possible players the Celtics would send to Phoenix for Crowder, Williams was brought up. It was there that Fischer cited that the front office doesn't have plans to offer Williams a contract extension. Williams is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Boston Celtics could be making a mistake by not extending Grant Williams
Given that he's proven to be a reliable supporting piece, the Celtics shouldn't be in a rush to trade him. Finding quality role players is typically something that gets good teams over the hump to become legitimate contenders.
The Celtics are in no rush with this decision and should certainly give it more thought. While adding a vet like Jae Crowder might help their chances now, keeping Williams is a better long-term option.
Boston may have made the finals last year, but they are still a relatively young team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are 24 and 25 years old, respectively. Given that they are just getting ready to enter their primes, keeping a young player like Williams is a more logical decision.
Another thing Boston has to look at is the current makeup of their starting lineup. Al Horford has been a staple over the years, but at 36-years-old, his career is slowly approaching its end. Having someone like Williams ready to slide into his role in the future could help the team maximize its championship window in the coming years.