NBA free agency predictions: Who signs the biggest restricted free agents?

NBA free agency prediction: Who will sign Grant Williams?

Of all the high-profile restricted free agents, Grant Williams is the most likely to have a new home next season. The Celtics have the deepest contending roster in basketball, but the new CBA could make that both a blessing and a curse. Jaylen Brown is due for a potentially historic extension and Boston has multiple key free agents hitting the market over the next few years.

Williams could be the odd man out. He was in and out of the rotation once the playoffs arrived, but he has earned the opportunity for a consistent role somewhere. If Boston doesn’t want to spend big, another team gladly will.

The best role players in the NBA tend to be high-feel players who defend and hit threes. Williams checks all three boxes. He doesn’t possess explosive athleticism or elite self-creation ability, but Williams consistently makes the right decision and he can absolutely elevate the offense with torrid stretches beyond the arc. He makes the small efforts with screening, cutting, and relocating, he’s a great connective passer for his position, and he’s capable of guarding 3-5 depending on the matchup.

The power forward market, as you’ve probably gathered, is pretty saturated at the top. The same teams will be deciding how to prioritize Williams, Washington, and Hachimura, and subsequently where to allocate their money. Williams feels like a Spursian player but the Spurs don’t really need another starting-salaried forward. The Pistons grab Washington in this hypothetical, so the Pacers latch onto Williams as a spacer and bullish defender to complement Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner.

Prediction: Pacers offer sheet — four years, $70 million