Impending Boston Celtics free agent comments on upcoming free agency
Impending Boston Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams said all the right things to HoopsHype’s Sam Yip ahead of both the 2023 postseason and how his upcoming initial foray into free agency ties into it.
“You’ve got to focus on today,” Williams said. “You can’t focus on tomorrow, (you) can only focus on what’s in front of you. For me, it’s always been about playing to the best ability that I can, and winning as many titles as I can while I’m here. So after that, whatever happens this free agency cycle, that’ll be determined this summer after, hopefully, we got the ring in my hand. So that’s the main priority. No. 1 is focused on getting this ring first.”
Celtics Wire’s Justin Quinn believes a strong postseason showing from Williams could recoup some free agent dollars potentially lost during what has been a step-back efficiency-wise in 2022-23.
“Given this season has not seen the most consistent play from the Tennessee alum, a strong showing in the postseason that features Williams playing within the role the team needs him to would go a long way toward boosting some of the hit his stock may have taken,” Quinn said.
Impending Boston Celtics free agent defends NBA’s collective bargaining agreement
On April 1, the NBA and the NBAPA came to an agreement on a collective bargaining agreement — and Warriors star Draymond Green took a shot at the agreement on Twitter:
Players lose again…. Smh! Middle and Lower spectrum teams don’t spend because they don’t want to. They want to lose. So increase their spending capabilities, just to increase them. They continue to cut out the middle. And this is what we rushed into a deal for? Smdh! Never fails https://t.co/rFuSpxCJ8q
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) April 1, 2023
Williams, the First Vice President of the NBAPA, defended the CBA while speaking to HoopsHype.
“Yeah, I don’t think that he fully understood the actual breakdown, and I think as the details start to come out more and more he’ll have a better understanding,” Williams said. “He read it off of statements that weren’t fully put out yet and still even the full CBA hasn’t been released yet. So I think as time goes on, he’ll realize that the statement that he made may not have been factual. He’ll have a better understanding and a better feeling about the CBA that’s coming out.”
Time will tell if the CBA helps Williams get paid more given his executive position within the NBAPA’s hierarchy.