Grade the Trade: Mavericks land Grant Williams in three-team trade

Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks

Adding Grant Williams checked off one box of the Mavs' offseason wishlist. Dallas has been in search of adding defensive talent since dealing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Nets in the Kyrie Irving trade. The addition of Williams solidifies the Mavs' need for a defensive-minded forward.

The Mavs' need for defense was apparent after the 2022-23 season. Dallas finished with a bottom-six defensive rating last season. The 2021-22 season was a different story, as the Mavs finished with the seventh best defensive rating in the NBA.

Revitalizing the Dallas defense is essential to once again making a deep playoff run. With stars like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shouldering the offensive burden, filling out the rest of the roster with defense-first players like Grant Williams is necessary.

Williams is a versatile player who fits in any lineup. He could fill in at either forward or play center in a pinch. The Mavs could trot out Williams next to Kleber, Hardaway Jr., or Green at forward. Better yet, to finish games, the Mavs could use Williams at center. Something Bullock was incapable of doing.

Potential starting lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Grant Williams, Dwight Powell

Dallas gets an A for this trade. Williams is a great addition to the Mavs roster. He fits the bill as a 3-and-D forward. Also, Williams' contract is right near market value. ESPN projected Williams to receive between $12 and $14 million. Meanwhile, other players of similar or arguably lesser value, like Dillon Brooks, received a contracts worth around $20 million per year.

The Mavs got a solid player, for a fair value, without giving up too much in the process. What more can you ask for?