Brandon Williams #10 of the Dallas Mavericks (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Brandon Williams began the season on a two-way contract, bouncing between the Texas Legends and the Dallas Mavericks. As the Mavericks navigate a crucial stretch filled with injuries and postseason urgency, the 6-foot-1 guard has played his way into a full-time role and a multi-year NBA contract.
The Mavericks officially signed Williams to a standard NBA deal on April 10. The third-year guard has averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 33 games this season while shooting a career-best 52.1% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc.
Williams said the biggest area of growth this season has been his confidence.
Confidence, Production, and a Breakout Game
“I’d probably just say my all-around game—everything—but mostly my confidence,” Williams told RG. “Just coming in and being more comfortable each and every game. And dealing with the guys, especially ones that are coming back too. All that’s kind of helped my game.”
That confidence has translated into production, including a breakout performance on March 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Williams poured in a career-high 31 points along with five rebounds and six assists, becoming just the second reserve in Mavericks history to post at least 30 points, five boards, and five assists in a single game. His 31-point outing also tied for the third-most points recorded by a two-way contract player in league history.
The Los Angeles native has credited his progression to game experience, development support, and the lessons that come from each night on the floor.
“Just overall, the game has slowed down for me,” Williams said.
“Like I said, just coming into every game and learning. No matter if it’s a high-turnover game, low-turnover—whatever it looks like—just knowing I’m gonna gain some experience and take every game as a lesson and learn from it.”
He’s also leaned on the Mavericks’ development staff, pointing to Riley Crean, Corey Wheeler, God Shammgod, and Keith Vaney as daily influences.
“I work a lot with Riley Crean, Corey Wheeler, Shammgod, Keith Vaney—basically all the coaches,” Williams said. “They always give me pointers and are looking out for me.”
Downhill Attacks and Veteran Lessons
Much of his focus during individual work has been on making downhill reads and refining his decision-making as a driver and playmaker.
“I’d probably just say just getting downhill. I’m trusting my work,” Williams explained. “I mean, I know I can get by probably anybody in the league. So it’s that next line of defense that I’m working on. Reading that next guy. You know, it’s not always gonna be to score or to look for my shot, it’s gonna be to look for my teammates, especially, like I said, with these guys coming back.”
As his role has expanded, Williams has shown the ability to contribute both on and off the ball. He’s been an efficient spot-up shooter while also navigating different lineup combinations as Dallas deals with injuries.
“These guys are great players, so for me, it’s just about learning how I could play with them and around them,” Williams said. “They draw a lot of gravity. So it’s just about coming in and filling those gaps. I’ve spent a lot of time on the bench, so I’ve kind of seen from afar where I can come in and be a spark plug.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Williams’ impact in recent weeks, emphasizing how vital he’s been to the team’s ability to stay competitive.
“B. Will [Brandon Williams] has been great. Being able to convert that two-way into an NBA contract is big time,” Kidd said. “And again, we need his speed and his ability to get to the rim, his scoring and him being able to shoot the three and then play make. Going forward, we just talked about health. We need him to come out of this healthy. So, a lot of guys will be on limited minutes. But again, we don’t have a lot of bodies to play, so we just got to make sure in that second half that guys get out of this clean.”
A Journey from the G League to Play-In Pressure
Williams has also taken full advantage of the opportunity to learn from Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard and one of the game’s all-time assist leaders.
“It’s good. I try to be a sponge every day when I come in and ask him small questions,” Williams said. “He always says there’s no wrong or dumb questions around here, you know what I mean? And like you said, he’s a Hall of Famer, so it wouldn’t be too smart of me not to take something from him.
“Every day I come in, I ask him how he approaches his work, how he approaches film, and so on. That’s the stuff I try to take from him every day.”
Before joining Dallas, Williams spent time with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers, and went undrafted out of Arizona in 2021. He began his pro career with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. His path has been anything but guaranteed, which is why the moment isn’t lost on him.
Williams is focused on staying ready for whatever the team needs as the Mavericks prepare to face the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament ahead of Wednesday’s matchup.
“A lot of stuff. I’m not gonna put too much out there, but just being ready for the play-in,” Williams said. “You know what’s at stake. Obviously I’ve never been here before, but a lot of guys on this team have. And just taking it day by day.”
Williams suffered an oblique injury in the Mavericks’ regular-season finale—a blowout loss against the Memphis Grizzlies—raising uncertainty about his status against the Kings. The injury wasn’t considered serious by various teammates, but Williams worked out in the weight room before being ruled out for the rest of the game. After the game, he was visibly upset from an emotional standpoint before getting on the team’s bus, with a lack of clarity about the injury. Regardless, he’s listed as questionable against the Kings, after being spotted on Tuesday testing out a wrap on the court while getting shots up.
Regardless, Williams has shown to be a capable NBA guard who earned a standard contract after navigating a challenging journey. He stepped up when the Mavericks’ injuries mounted, helping to keep the team alive to qualify for the play-in tournament in the first place.
Grant Afseth
