After logging 29 minutes on Tuesday night in the Celtics‘ loss to Philadelphia, forward Grant Williams has now played more than 2,000 minutes this season, meeting the “starter criteria” for restricted free agents.
A player achieves the starter criteria when he starts at least 41 games or plays at least 2,000 minutes in the season before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency (or if he averages 41 starts or 2,000 minutes in the two seasons leading up to his free agency).
Williams made 21 starts and logged 1,875 minutes in 2021/22 and has started just 23 games this season, but has now surpassed the minutes-played requirement for ’22/23.
As a result of meeting the starter criteria, the 24-year-old will see the value of his qualifying offer increase by more than $2MM. The No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williams had been on track for a QO worth $6,235,495, but that figure will be bumped to $8,486,620, which is the equivalent of what the No. 9 pick in his draft class would receive.
That modest bump may not have a tangible impact on Williams’ free agency. He’s considered highly likely to sign a new multiyear contract that exceeds $8.5MM in annual average value, so that qualifying offer would essentially just serve as a placeholder during his negotiations with the Celtics or rival suitors.
If Williams doesn’t get any multiyear offers he likes and is intrigued by the possibility of reaching unrestricted free agency in 2024, accepting a one-year, $8.5MM offer would certainly hold more appeal than signing a one-year, $6.2MM offer, but his restricted free agency seems unlikely to play out that way.
Williams is the sixth potential restricted free agent to meet the starter criteria so far this season, joining P.J. Washington, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu — Kenyon Martin Jr. and Herbert Jones also made more than 41 starts, but they have 2023/24 team options on their respective contracts and may not reach free agency this summer (Jones definitely won’t, based on the structure of his deal).
Nets forward Cameron Johnson could join that group by starting two of Brooklyn’s last three regular season games this week. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle will fall just short of the starter criteria after missing Tuesday’s game — he needs to make four more starts, but Portland now only has three games left on its schedule.
Grant Williams? More like Grant Benjamins! Because this fool is getting paid like Beyonce makes Lemonade. That’s the facts, jack!
So if you play over 2,000 minutes but don’t start even once does that meet the criteria?
“A player achieves the starter criteria when he starts at least 41 games or plays at least 2,000 minutes in the season before he becomes eligible for restricted free agency (or if he averages 41 starts or 2,000 minutes in the two seasons leading up to his free agency).”
So yes. It’s an either-or situation.
Yeah, the name is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like a “regular rotation player criteria.”
Dude is a bum
Why tho
One trick pony. Udoka built a good system where he could succeed. Udoka is gone so he’s doing worse. It will even get worse if he leaves the Celtics because Udoka system won’t even be relevant.
How did Udoka use him differently than Brad? I’m confused.
Grant scored 600pts and 274 reb and shot 41% from 3 under Udoka. Under Brad he scored 200 pts, 170 reb and shot 37%. What are you confused about?
Okay his stats were better — most players improve as they spend more time in the league.
What part of Udoka’s system helped Grant that could not be replicated on other teams. Playing time? Lol. What is Udoka’s system exactly?
Man-oh-man, you have a terrible grudge against the Celtics! Where’d that come from?
He is not worth 18m per year! Maybe 10m
He needs to shoot more and not play at the center position at all.
Grant not play small ball center? Seems like that’s his best position. Bodying up against bigs. Not sure driving to the basket, which Grant’s enraptured with this year instead of shooting threes, is a great move. But I like him working to add to his game. Go Celtics!
We’ll just wait and see what the Celts think Grant’s worth. I’m also interested in what happens to Payton Pritchard. At his age he needs to play somewhere so I figure Brad Stevens will trade him so he can play. I’m hoping we get to see Danilo, Juan Begarin & KO play for the green. Go Celtics!