Bobby Portis is an integral piece for the Milwaukee Bucks, so he hasn't been thinking about getting traded. However, he did see a report about possibly going to the Mavericks for Grant Williams, a notion that Portis revealed to Shams Charania was shocking to him.
“When I got hints of it, I’m like, ain’t no way I’m getting traded for – excuse my French, that’s my guy I love competing against him – but I shouldn’t get traded for Grant Williams. That don’t even sound right."
Portis didn't understand why the Bucks would even consider a trade like that and is happy he remained with the franchise.
"I seen that little clip come on my phone and I was like, I don’t know how that even moves the needle. The things I do and the things he can help the team do are just… Different. I don’t know how it went down or what shook out, but I’m fortunate and happy that I’m with this organization. Wouldn’t be right, man. Trade rumors are never fun for anybody.”
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The Mavericks ultimately found Williams a home in Charlotte, trading him and a first-round pick for P.J. Washington while Portis remained in Milwaukee. The Bucks' sixth man was correct to say that there wasn't any reason why the Bucks would do a deal like that.
Portis averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, while Grant averaged 8.1 points and 3.6 rebounds during his time with the Mavericks.
Grant Williams Has Had A Lot Of People Insult Him
Grant Williams has been subject to a lot of ridicule this season. Usually, only fans hate players, but Williams has been subjected to negative public comments by media members, players, and even team executives since his time in Dallas.
Tim MacMahon explained why the Mavericks moved on from Grant within half a season of signing him on a four-year contract, referring to Grant as 'annoying' and a bad teammate. This was followed up with Mavericks' executive and legend Michael Finley explaining how Luka Doncic demolished Grant in a 1-v-1 during practice at the start of the season.
"One day in practice, a player who I won't name, but it was Grant Williams. He decided he wanted to get under Luka's skin. He thought that Luka didn't come that day ready to practice. To make a long story short, they had a scrimmage going, and he's talking trash to Luka up and down the court. Finally, Luka says, 'Okay'. I tell you, Luka went on a 26-6 run by himself. You can ask anybody, I'm not exaggerating. He went on a 26-6 run by himself. He showed him everything, the three, the post-ups, the floaters, everything, by himself."
Williams doesn't take offense to these comments, even clarifying that Finley undersold the score, as he lost 32-6 to Doncic. Williams isn't bothered by these comments and is focused on improving his game. He's just 24 years old and has averaged 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists since joining Charlotte.
Williams can be a winning piece on a contender, but it might be hard for him to find an ideal role on any of the contenders in the NBA right now. Hopefully, he can help the Hornets crawl out of irrelevance and back into playoff contention in the East.
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