Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks exploring a Grant Williams trade

With two days until the deadline, trade talks are heating up around the association, and the Milwaukee Bucks are right in the middle of the rumors. One franchise that the defending NBA champions continue to be linked to in trade rumors is the Boston Celtics.

Jared Weiss, The Athletic’s Celtics beat writer (subscription required), rounded up all the news involving Milwaukee’s pursuit of Dennis Schröder, with some added rumors. Weiss reported that the Celtics offered the Bucks Schröder in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo over the weekend, which Milwaukee countered by asking for Grant Williams.

Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks pursuing Grant Williams in trade talks

Milwaukee’s interest in Williams is beyond justifiable. The third-year forward is averaging new career-highs across the board with 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.7 blocks on the season. His 3-point shooting is especially interesting, given that the 23-year-old is knocking in 42.8 percent of his threes on 3.5 attempts this season. That goes without mentioning his solid defensive presence, as the 6-foot-6 forward is an incredibly versatile piece on that end.

All of the above are reasons why the Bucks should push to add Williams in any deal for Schröder. The 3-and-D wing would be a tremendous addition to Milwaukee’s bench, knocking down triples when given the opportunity and playing quality defense. The Bucks are still searching for an ideal P.J. Tucker replacement, and though Williams is not on his level, he does provide some versatility that would be useful under head coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Bucks could use him similarly to how they did Tucker by giving him the green light from deep while tasking him with tough assignments defensively. Coincidentally, Williams is also a fantastic corner 3-point shooter, just like Tucker is. The power forward could come in and immediately be a solid two-way contributor for the Bucks, particularly in the postseason.

Financially, Williams is on an incredibly affordable deal, given that he is still on his rookie contract. Making $2.6 million this season, the Bucks could easily find a way to bring him aboard along with Schröder’s $5.9 million. The problem is putting together a package that would make Boston willing to move Williams, given that he has been a solid contributor for them amidst his career year. Sure, the Bucks could offer players like DiVincenzo, Jordan Nwora, George Hill, or Rodney Hood, but the Celtics may want something more captivating in any deal.

Whatever the case, the Bucks should be persistently pursuing a package deal for Schröder and Williams before Thursday’s deadline. The pair could be just what the Bucks need to bolster their subpar second unit by adding two quality contributors. The Schröder side of things is certainly an interesting storyline to follow on its own, but if general manager Jon Horst can pull off a deal for both Celtics, it would be a compelling move for the defending champs.

Stay tuned to find out if anything gets done between the Bucks and Celtics between now and Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. More updates are sure to follow on this story and others.