Celtics Rumors: Grant Williams Subject of Trade Calls Ahead of 2023 NBA Deadline

As Thursday's trade deadline draws nearer, the Boston Celtics are reportedly fielding interest for one of their young forwards.

According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, "NBA executives say teams have made calls to Boston about Grant Williams, who has underwhelmed on defense ahead of entering restricted free agency this summer."

Williams has appeared in 52 games this season with 18 starts, and he's averaging career highs of 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc. The fourth-year forward has been a key rotational piece behind veteran big man Al Horford.

At 37-16, the Celtics sit atop the Eastern Conference and have the best record in the NBA, but they believe there's still room for improvement on the roster. Per O'Connor, Boston is "looking for upgrades at center and wing." The team has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring veteran center Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics have reached the dog days of the 2022-23 season, as they have lost four of their last six matchups, including Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns. This recent stretch of struggles came after Boston had put together a nine-game win streak.

Led by the All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are looking to avenge last year's loss in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors. Boston has the third-best offense in the league at 117.7 points per game, and the team is ranked seventh in scoring defense by holding opponents to an average of 111.9 points.

The Celtics will return to action on Monday in a road matchup against the Detroit Pistons (14-40).