Veteran forward Marvin Williams signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after agreeing to a buyout with the Charlotte Hornets.
However, Williams was also speaking with teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics as he hoped to join an Eastern Conference contender (via Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer):
“Williams said he was intrigued by three Eastern Conference contenders: The Bucks, the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee — with the best record in the NBA at 50-8 through Thursday — expressed immediate interest when Williams and his agent started investigating a buyout on part of his $14 million salary.”
Williams would have made for an interesting fit in both Toronto and Boston. The Raptors are already rather deep on the wing, with both Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby eating up a majority of the minutes at those spots. The Celtics have less quality depth, though head coach Brad Stevens has sometimes elected to play small with Gordon Hayward at the power forward spot.
Ultimately, this might have been about the opportunity to join the best team in the East. All season long, the Bucks have been a team about strength in numbers, and head coach Mike Budenholzer does an excellent job of delegating minutes to a number of bench players.
Williams is averaging 5.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals through his first six games with Milwaukee. His defensive versatility makes him a natural fit for Budenholzer's scheme, though the Bucks will be hoping he can be yet another floor-spacer for Giannis Antetokounmpo and co.
In any case, Williams finally has the chance to play significant minutes for a contender after years of toiling with a mediocre Hornets team.
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