The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and the Dallas Mavericks are undoubtedly one of the winners.
The Mavericks came into the deadline needing to make some moves to bolster their roster and attempt to rise up the standings and get out of the Play-In Tournament.
Dallas worked well along the margins, trading for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to shore up their frontcourt depth.
Rookie Dereck Lively II has been great as the team’s starting center, but adding more size and rim protection was a smart decision by the front office.
However, the trade for Washington wound up costing the Mavericks Grant Williams, whom the team signed and traded for the previous offseason.
There were rumors that the organization had grown tired of Williams’ personality, but Dallas GM Nico Harrison set the record straight, via 97.1 The Freak.
“Grant doesn’t deserve the negativity he’s getting on social media… He was a good teammate,” Harrison said, per Mavs Film Room on Twitter.
Nico Harrison joining @TheSteinLine on @971TheFreak immediately addresses the fact that Grant Williams is receiving negative publicity in Dallas.
“Grant doesn’t deserve the negativity he’s getting on social media… He was a good teammate”
— Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 (@MavsFilmRoom) February 10, 2024
Williams has gotten into several altercations throughout the regular season and his fiery nature could have rubbed teammates and coaches the wrong way.
However, Harrison pushes back against the narrative and argues that the decision to trade him was more about the on-court product than the antics.
Regardless, Williams now finds himself on a rebuilding Charlotte Hornets team while Dallas gears up for a late-season push.
With a healthy Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving available plus their new additions, the Mavericks are more versatile on both ends and it’ll be interesting to see how far they can go this year.
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Mavericks Veteran Reportedly ‘Rubbed A Lot Of People The Wrong Way’