Days before free agency, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Boston Celtics were among the teams expected to show interest in guard Brandon Williams.
Their anticipated competition to procure his services included the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and the franchise he spent the last three years with, the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite coming off a campaign where he averaged a career-high 13.0 points and 3.9 assists, Williams, an unrestricted free agent, remains unsigned.
Celtics could still sign 13 PPG guard to fill final roster spot
Last season, opportunity translated to a breakout season for the former Arizona standout. The fourth-year guard appeared in 66 games, doubling the most he had previously played in. That included 15 starts.
In his 22.2 minutes of floor time, he exemplified the basketball axiom that speed kills. His combination of quickness and crafty ball-handling makes him difficult to keep from the cup -- especially when he gets a player slower than his primary defender, such as a center, switched onto him.
Brandon Williams broke out the Shammgod last night 😳 pic.twitter.com/5MwgOVNaPk
— NBA (@NBA) December 21, 2025
And when Williams gets to the basket, despite only being 6'1", he finishes well at the rim. He also boasts an impressive free-throw rate. He generated 4.6 attempts from the stripe per game last season.
He isn't much of a three-point shooter, registering a career conversion rate below 30 percent. However, that didn't stop him from being effective at what he does best. He's also a competitive defender who averaged nearly 1.0 steals per contest in 2025-26.
Should the Celtics sign Brandon Williams?
Dallas has his Early Bird Rights. That makes it easier to re-sign him. And while the Mavericks underwent a front-office makeover this summer -- Masai Ujiri is now their president of basketball operations -- their new general manager is familiar with the free-agent guard.
Mike Schmitz was the Portland Trail Blazers' assistant general manager while Williams was playing in the Pacific Northwest. There's also the familiarity those who remain with the organization have with him.
The California native, who turns 27 in November, is coming off a two-year deal with an average annual salary of $1.2 million. Given that he's still lingering in free agency, his next deal, no matter who it's from, also projects to be at a modest rate (by professional basketball standards).
The combination of Williams' skillset and the cost to acquire him could convince Boston to sign him. The Celtics would benefit from having another ball handler on board.
NBA needs the expansion asap, there’s no way someone like Brandon Williams should still be unsigned after the year he had
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) July 28, 2026
One of my favorite tapes ever pic.twitter.com/eyKGWiNx9d
Currently, Mike Conley is their backup point guard. There's a plan to optimize him without overtaxing an individual entering his 20th NBA season. However, the organization is inclined to keep its final roster spot open for now. Along with maintaining flexibility, the C's are $1.7 million below the luxury tax. They're well-positioned to reset the repeater tax. Williams is a good player, but he's not worth threatening that.
If Boston can sign him to a two-way deal, that's incredible value. It's not the type of arrangement he belongs on, though. That warrants questions about how well he'd buy into that opportunity after a career year.
Whether Williams has better options than a two-way contract -- he should -- or the Celtics think what they can offer is not a match for what he wants and deserves, they could turn to Milos Uzan.
The former Houston Cougars point guard impressed while playing for Boston at Summer League. He'll be at training camp at the Auerbach Center on an Exhibit 10 deal. As he fights for a roster spot, that makes him the current favorite to claim their last two-way vacancy.
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