Grant Williams has been looking for a big payday for nearly a year now, but it didn't come from the Boston Celtics. Instead, the Dallas Mavericks completed a sign-and-trade that'll net Williams $53 million over four years.

In return, the C's received two second-round picks, per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

This move continues Boston's trend of stockpiling second-round draft picks, which is intriguing since the team is far from rebuilding. While no one quite knows what Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is up to, he could be stashing all these picks in preparation for another trade.

Celtics' grade for Grant Williams trade

It's been a busy offseason so far for the Celtics, as they've already acquired 2018 All-Star Kristaps Porzingis and two bench players in Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton. After losing a key role player like Williams, the C's may be planning to add to the roster even more in the coming weeks.

While the former Tennesse Volunteer became somewhat of a meme in Boston, his game was no laughing matter. He had a few forgettable moments this past season, yet he's also the same guy who hit seven triples in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Aside from that clutch performance, he was a solid two-way bench player who put up 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per outing this season. He developed into a great shooter as well, posting an impressive 39.5 percent conversion rate from deep.

Although his shooting numbers dipped during the 2022-23 campaign, the 24-year-old has proven he can contribute in the NBA. Unfortunately, the C's didn't have a ton of room for him last season, and with the addition of Porzingis, it'd only become harder to scrap for minutes.

For the Mavs, Grant Williams can bring shooting and defense to a team in desperate need of bench help. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are great scorers, however, Dallas needed more from the rest of the squad after embarrassingly missing the playoffs. Meanwhile, Williams has been to the postseason in each of his four years in the league, so perhaps he can add more valuable playoff experience to their roster.

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As for the Celtics, they're losing one of their best bench players. At the same time though, they're saving money and shedding someone who wasn't as reliable recently. It's also worth noting that the two-time SEC Player of the Year just underwent a significant surgery on his left hand.

Overall, not keeping Williams isn't the end of the world. However, it would be nice to see them get back more than just second-round picks for him. The true scope of this trade won't be clear until the offseason is over, but for now, it's not ideal to snag two lowly picks for a 3-and-D that could start on some teams.

This move wasn't all about X's and O's though, as the financials are just as critical. According to Celtics reporter Jay King, avoiding a potential Williams extension keeps Boston out of the second apron for the time being.

So far, none of Boston's bench forwards really match up to “The Batman.” The newly-acquired forwards, Banton and Brissett, are more developmental projects than instant replacements. Sam Hauser has the capability to become a good 3-point specialist, yet he hasn't really played enough to prove his growth is a sure thing.

Rather than looking to the bench, Boston can rely on height and size elsewhere. In the (possible) starting rotation, the C's will have 7-foot-3 Porzingis and maybe veteran big Al Horford. Center Robert Williams III could make a move to the bench, and while he doesn't have the offensive prowess of his Williams, he's better defensively.

Trusting starters and losing bench depth means that there's less room for error with injuries, which is something you can't always count on. Porzingis, Malcolm Brogdon and Timelord all have a rough injury history, and losing any of them would put the C's in real trouble. Hopefully before the 2023-24 season begins, the Celtics will bolster their roster with another move (possibly with the newfound picks) to account for the loss of Williams.

Grade: B-