Grant Williams discusses facing Mavs two months after trade

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Grant Williams discusses facing Mavericks just two months after being traded

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/9/24

Grant Williams joined the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade during the offseason. He has since been traded to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the P.J. Washington deal. He will now face his former team when the two franchises play on Tuesday.

When speaking to the media following a recent practice session, Williams shared his thoughts on the upcoming contest.

“It’ll be cool,” Williams said. “It’s different because I was there for half of the year compared to Boston when I was there for four. I still have relationships with those guys. It’s going to be cool. But it wasn’t like… we didn’t go deep playoff runs and everything else. So it might be a little different feelings-wise. But at the same time, I still have a lot of care for those guys and ant their success. I’m happy to see them really succeed.”

Grant Williams on his emotions of facing the Mavs, 2 months after his trade from Dallas to Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/TeT5ZcaiAg
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) April 9, 2024

Williams' reputation around the NBA undoubtedly took a hit after being traded so quickly by Dallas. Shortly after he was moved, legendary Boston Celtics announcer Mike Gorman questioned his locker room presence.

"He was annoying," Gorman said. "He was annoying to everybody ... it kind of wore thin. It wore thin quickly in Dallas, obviously. ... He's not good enough to have teams say well, 'Despite that, we're gonna keep him here because he's a great player.' He's not. He's an extra ... if you're a bad locker room guy, and you're the eighth or ninth guy, you're not gonna be the eighth or ninth guy for long, because you're not gonna be on the team for long."

Since joining the Hornets, Williams has begun to find a rhythm. He's playing for his hometown team, and he's got a sizeable role in both the offense and defense. He has room to expand his game and develop into a leader for Charlotte's young roster.

In the 27 games Williams has played for the Hornets, he's averaging 13.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 50% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three-point range.

Williams will be hoping for a friendly reception from his former teammates. Both sides have moved on. The Hornets have nothing to play for at this point in the season. As such, this game will be the perfect opportunity for Williams to break the ice against a former team and move on with little to no fuss.

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