Former Tennessee basketball star Grant Williams is staying in Boston for at least one more season.
The Celtics picked up the fourth year team option in Grant Williams’ rookie contract, The Athletics’ Shams Charania first reported. Williams will be under contract for Boston through the 2022-23 season unless he is traded.
Williams, the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, will see his first large scale pay raise in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The North Carolina native’s rookie salary was $2,379,840, his second year salary was $2,498,760 and he is making $2,617,800 this season. Next season, Williams will make $4,306,281.
The 6-foot-6 forward is off to a strong start to his third season, averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the Celtics’ 2-5 start to the season. Williams, who has started two games this season and improved his three-point shooting this offseason, is averaging nearly double the points he did a season ago.
Williams 47.6 three-point percentage is third on the team including players averaging two or more triples a game and is first on the team for players taking 2.5 or more triples a game.
The former First Team All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year has scored double digits twice this season including an 18 point performance in a win over Houston.
Williams is the Vice President of the NBA Players Association and has earned great respect from his colleagues in his first two seasons in the league. The former Vol chose Tennessee over Yale and Harvard.
Williams, who frequently supported all UT sports while at Tennessee, made it back to Knoxville for Tennessee football’s win over Tennessee Tech earlier this fall.
Special visitor to the radio booth! @Grant2Will pic.twitter.com/p6OuaIMuWc
— Vol Network (@VolNetwork) September 18, 2021
Williams and the Celtics return to the court Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
The 2021-22 Tennessee basketball team tips of its season ins six days against UT-Martin at Thompson-Boling Arena.
