Celtics expert reveals 2 reasons for Grant Williams trade to Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks made somewhat of a "splash" this offseason when free agency rolled around. They were able to improve their team by getting a guy who fits the roster perfectly and excels in every area they need him to.

Grant Williams, the former Boston Celtics forward, signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Mavericks as they acquired him in a three-team sign-and-trade with Boston and the San Antonio Spurs.

Williams will be a huge part of the Mavericks' future alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks needed a guy who plays his role and plays it perfectly, and that's exactly what they are getting.

Celtics expert reveals 2 reasons for Grant Williams trade to Mavericks

The new Mavericks standout will be a defensive specialist, an elite floor-spacer with his top-notch corner three-point shooting, and an enforcer, doing all the dirty work for the two superstars.

However, if he's so great, why did the Celtics willingly trade him away? Williams is a guy that represented wearing green and white with pride. Many Celtics fans also viewed him as a guy that would be there for a long time.

But something just wasn't right. One Celtics insider revealed the primary two reasons why he thinks the Celtics gave up on Williams - money and Joe Mazzulla.

"Money. I think it's a combination of things; money and it's Joe Mazulla," said John Karalis of the Locked On Celtics podcast during an appearance on Locked on Mavericks. "Grant Williams just kind of fell out of favor with Mazulla. I think Grant may have gotten a little too ahead of himself offensively, and I think he got too caught up in being a restricted free agent."

Williams only averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and almost 1.7 assists last year. but he shot 39.5% from three-point range. And the year prior, he shot 41.1% from deep on more attempts per game. Throughout his time in Boston, he's turned himself into an extremely reliable three-point threat.

The big man is also a very versatile defender. He can guard either wing position, power forwards, and some centers, too. His strong frame has helped him keep up with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid throughout the Celtics' recent playoff runs.

Williams is the perfect fit for what the Mavericks needed, and fans shouldn't worry about why he was given up by Boston so easily. It was simply time for his tenure with the Celtics to come to an end.

In this case, Boston's loss is Dallas' gain.