Blazers Trade Idea Lands $48M Star For Robert Williams
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of a rebuilding era, but all is not lost.
At the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference, Portland is 13-25 and currently on a two-game losing skid.
After an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign, Anfernee Simons seems to be finding more consistency averaging 26.2 points and 5.8 assists per game in Portland's last five contests.
Despite being 25 years old, Simons is in his seventh NBA season. The longest-tenured Trail Blazer is the face of Portland's youth movement and their greater rebuild in a post-Damian Lillard era.
Many stages of this rebuild are pairing complementary players with Simons while trying to balance a veteran presence. This explains their 2024 Draft-night acquisition of Deni Avdija and last year's 5-year $160 million contract offer to Jerami Grant.
Avdija is averaging 14 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his first year with the Trail Blazers while Grant is averaging 15 points per game this season in a down shooting year.
Another player on this Portland roster that is struggling to find a fit is center Robert Williams.
Williams has had bad luck with injuries playing in only 18 games in his two seasons wearing a Trail Blazers uniform. His 6.6 points per game, 1.7 blocks per game, and 6-foot-9 frame could very well be of interest to a buying contender looking for a big man.
In this trade idea from Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World, Portland parts ways with the 27-year-old center, and gets an even younger roster out of it.
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Robert Williams
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish
Portland gets two 25-year-old forwards from Los Angeles to pair with their youthful roster.
Vanderbilt, who has yet to play this season due to injury, is a proven defender with his 1.2 steals per game last season and brings length to Portland at six-foot-eight. Vanderbilt has been once again participating in 5-on-5 drills and is gearing up for his 2024-25 debut.
Reddish, also listed at six-foot-eight, would be returning to Portland where he was briefly rostered as a result of the 2022-23 trade deadline. In fact, his 20 appearances with the Trail Blazers were the last time he averaged a double-digit point total with 11 points per game on 44 percent shooting.
Vanderbilt and Reddish are young and talented but have not been given a great opportunity in Los Angeles. By getting a younger and deeper roster, it would be wise to keep their phone lines open for Los Angeles.
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