Blazers' Robert Williams Ideal Trade Fit for Multiple West Contenders

The former All-Defensive Second Teamer doesn't really align with Portland's rebuild timeline.

Nov 3, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane (22) drives to the basket under pressure from Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Former All-Defensive Second Teamer Robert Williams III doesn't really align with the rebuild timeline for the Portland Trail Blazers.

The injury-prone big man, 26, has two years left on his current deal. He's set to earn a fairly reasonable $25.7 million across the ensuing two seasons.

But the 6-foot-9 reserve center is clogging up Portland's depth chart. Already slotted behind pricey starting center Deandre Ayton, Williams barely played in 2023-24 due to (you guessed it) a major injury. Then-rookie former LSU center Duop Reath quickly emerged as a more reliable, higher-upside option (even though he's actually older than Williams at 28, but he presumably has more room to grow given that he's embarking on just his second season and is on a rookie-scale deal). Across 68 contests for the Trail Blazers (20 starts), the 6-foot-11 big man averaged 9.1 points on an efficient slash line of .461/.359/.742, plus 3.7 boards, 1.0 assists, 0.6 blocks and 0.5 swipes a night.

Most pivotally, the Trail Blazers drafted former Connecticut Huskies title-winning center Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 pick. Clingan, 20, seems ready to contribute defensively right away, and doesn't have Williams' lengthy injury history. There's no room for four rotation centers on the club's roster.

Williams is affordable enough to theoretically fetch some trade value, and seems particularly worth pursuing for three Pacific Division clubs. Last year, in his six games with Portland, Williams averaged 6.8 points on 65.4 percent shooting from the floor and 77.8 percent shooting from the foul line, 6.3 boards, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 dishes, across 19.8 minutes per. Those are modest numbers, to be fair, but where he'd make the most impact is in his man-to-man coverage in the paint.

Los Angeles Lakers

Ever since 2020, the Lakers have been looking to find the right big men to fit around All-NBA center/power forward Anthony Davis. The 6-foot-10 big man has played almost exclusively at center over the last two seasons, but he was a jump-shooting power forward during L.A.'s run to the 2020 title. Could a pairing with Williams as a token starting five help Davis rediscover his shooting stroke? Either way, he'd certainly help shore up a formidable front line defensively.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings boast three offense-first All-Stars in point guard De'Aaron Fox, newly-signed small forward DeMar DeRozan, and center Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento desperately could use some defensive help all over the roster, but especially in the frontcourt. Sabonis is a great passer and scorer, but a lackluster rim protector. Williams could certainly help in that regard.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have limited size up front, to the point that the team played 6-foot-6 power forward Draymond Green at center to close out the year. That just won't fly in the Western Conference, especially with the 34-year-old Green no longer in his athletic prime. Williams is a legitimate center, and has more size than scrawnier fives Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

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