Robert Williams III reaches for the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 9, 2021.
The Celtics are making an annual habit of extending their homegrown talent.
Two years after extending Jaylen Brown and one season after doing the same for Jayson Tatum, Boston has reportedly come to a long-term agreement with center Robert Williams. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the deal is for four years and $54 million, which was officially signed on Tuesday.
It’s official 👀⏰👑
Read more: https://t.co/I9Ua73gxMp pic.twitter.com/MixPwt1ChB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 24, 2021
The 27th overall pick of the 2018 Draft was entering the final season of his rookie deal and could have become a restricted free agent next summer. The news comes days after the franchise also reportedly came to terms with Marcus Smart for a four-year, $77 million extension.
Instead, the 23-year-old shot blocker remains with the Celtics’ talented young core for the foreseeable future. Williams averaged career highs in minutes (18.9), points (8.0), rebounds (6.9), and blocks (1.8) in 2020-21. An ankle injury in Game 3 cut short his availability in Boston’s first-round loss to Brooklyn.
The Celtics are solidifying their direction after seeing former head coach Brad Stevens move to the front office and name former NBA veteran and long-time assistant coach Ime Udoka as his replacement. Boston went 36-36 last season, marking their worst win percentage since the 2014-15 campaign.
