Grant Williams 'Absolutely' Open to Celtics Return amid NBA Free Agency Rumors

Grant Williams is open to a return to the Boston Celtics as he approaches restricted free agency.

The 6'6" forward said Tuesday he's unsure of how the offseason will play out but that he would be "excited and happy and ready to play for the Celtics" if the team re-signs him.

"Brad and those guys, if they decide to keep me and bring me back, of course I'm gonna come back and be excited and happy and ready to play for the Celtics," Williams told reporters.

"If something else happens, then I'll have to transition, but for me, my outlook has always been that I want to make sure wherever I am, to impact success and winning and make sure I'm here for my players around me and focus on the team first. …(I would) absolutely (return), cap-wise, with the new CBA, I think all these teams as you see are trying to get the trades in and the contracts done prior to the CBA truly being enacted, so you're gonna see a lot of all-in pushes. If the Celtics decide to do it, that's how it'll work out. If not, it helps financially a little bit, but it definitely changes the numbers."

Williams is coming off a 2022-23 season in which he averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds and shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite his value as a shooter and versatile defender, many are questioning his long-term future in Boston following the team's acquisition of 2017-18 All-Star Kristaps Porziņģis. While Williams doesn't figure to break the bank, his next contract could be a bit too expensive for the Celtics given their payroll situation.

Their three highest earners (Porziņģis, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) combine to make $100.4 million next season, and they have $173.2 million in guaranteed deals on the books.

The front office will also be looking ahead to the 2024 offseason, when Porziņģis and Jaylen Brown are out of contract. Even if Porziņģis takes a slight pay cut, the potential bump from Brown's $31.8 million 2023-24 cap hit could more than cancel out any cost savings.

Unless he takes a very team-friendly deal, Boston might be prepared to let Williams walk.

Agreeing to a sign-and-trade would at least allow the franchise to recoup something in return. The Athletic's Jared Weiss reported on June 21 that more than half a dozen teams around the NBA had already reached out to discuss the idea.