The Phoenix Suns bringing back center Mark Williams on a three-year, $38 million contract this summer certainly raised some eyebrows among the fanbase, particularly with the deal being fully guaranteed.
But despite the injury concerns around the former Charlotte Hornet, moves that have taken place since Williams inked his new deal have only made bringing him back look even better.
Quinten Post to the Grizzlies for $30 million makes Williams a steal
The Memphis Grizzlies throwing a three-year, $30 million contract of their own at Quinten Post of the Golden State Warriors was surprising, and it was not matched allowing the Dutchman to make the move away from San Francisco.
Post is a fine backup center who plays hard in a Jock Landale (we miss you Jock and we're glad you got paid) kind of way, and you could make the argument he is more skilled and at 26-years-old still has plenty more to give to a team in the NBA.
Only Post has seen his minutes and role decrease in the playoffs, while he has hardly been a regular season force either. For the Suns to lock down a player two years younger at essentially the same price across three seasons looks like even better business than it did when the deal was announced.
You need only look at Mitchell Robinson being snapped up by the Boston Celtics or Kevon Looney apparently being the answer to the Los Angeles Lakers' problems to see how valuable starting calibre bigs are.
Williams showed in his first season in The Valley that he could do just that, turning in the best (and healthiest) campaign of his career to date. The fact he wasn't available for the playoff series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder was reason to be cautious about an extension, but this Post deal proves letting him walk for nothing would have been a mistake.
The front office surely hopes Khaman Maluach will continue to ascend, while Oso Ighodaro is still knocking around and fighting for his place in Phoenix.
But Williams will give this team 50 or so games a season, and on his night is the best defensive big man the franchise has had since Deandre Ayton.
All on the kind of money that can be shifted down the road if required, although adding draft picks to sweeten any deal gets less likely by the day with the Suns' desire to trade them all away. Post to the Grizzlies confirms getting Williams back at that figure was the right move.
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