Spurs Sign Grant Williams? An 'Interesting' Fit for 'Perfect Role Player'

Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, who averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds, has a well-rounded skill set that could make him an interesting fit under San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Even though no one is expecting them to emerge as championship contenders later this fall, the time is now for the San Antonio Spurs to begin on the path back toward their winning ways. And with about $38.6 million in cap space this offseason, they have the money to start building a solid foundation around Victor Wembanyama.

It would be uncharacteristic of San Antonio to go after guys like Kyrie Irving and James Harden, both of who are set to be unrestricted free agents when the signing period opens on Friday. The star-studded pair are expected to sign with their current respective teams anyways, so who would be a more realistic target for the Spurs?

According to ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps, Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, who is set to become a restricted free agent, makes for an intriguing fit. 

"San Antonio would be interesting," Bontemps said on Brian Windhorst's podcast. "I could see him playing next to Victor. A team like that, maybe you come in and bid a little extra for an RFA like that."

As a restricted free agent, Williams is limited in his options, but the Spurs have the spending room necessary to potentially give him an offer that the Celtics would be unwillingly to match.

And as a result, the Spurs could end up with someone who Bontemps calls the "perfect role player," if the mutual interest is there of course.

"When you look at the modern NBA, Grant Williams is sort of a perfect role player to slot in if you've got a couple of star players," he said. "Guy doesn't need the ball a lot, has proven to be a 40 percent 3-point shooter, can guard multiple positions, can guard up."

Bontemps makes some solid points. Williams, who averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 2022, has a well-rounded skill set on both ends, which makes him a player that could find success under coach Gregg Popovich. While there could be some nights where he scores just a handful of points, Williams might simultaneously be pulling down nine or 10 rebounds while using his sturdy frame to tire out opposing bigs on the opposite end of the floor.

And when necessary, he can hit the open triple. Williams has shot at or around 40 percent from deep over the past two seasons. Last year, he hit a solid 39.5 percent on 3.7 attempts per a game just one season after making 41.1 of his 3s at a similar clip (3.4 attempts).

There's currently no reported interest between the two sides. But Williams has certainly earned a look from many teams around the league, including the Spurs.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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