The Portland Trail Blazers retained backup center Robert Williams III, reaching a three-year, $44 million extension. Given how valuable he was to Portland's frontcourt, that's the correct decision for a team that hopes to build off the first playoff appearance of its rebuild.
The one concern surrounding the move was Williams' extensive injury history, having exceeded 35 games played just three seasons throughout his career. However, Portland strategically mitigated that risk with a unique twist in his contract, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on X.
"In Portland, I'm told Robert Williams' extension is fully guaranteed at $14 million for this season, but just $5 million guaranteed in Year 2, which becomes fully guaranteed if he plays 50 games this 2026-27 campaign. Then, Year 3 is entirely non-guaranteed, but becomes fully guaranteed if Williams plays 50 games in 27-28. Wonky..."
Robert Williams' extension turned out to be a steal for Portland
Although Williams proved his value last season, it was uncertain whether he'd remain in Portland. Jason Quick of The Athletic even reported that the Blazers were "not expected" to retain him, as Williams was seeking a deal in the $15 million AAV range.
Portland likely paid more than they initially hoped, as they ultimately came close to that price tag at $14.7 million AAV. Still, the games played milestones required to fully guaranteed his salaries in Years 2 and 3 should make the Blazers feel much more comfortable investing in their injury-prone center.
Though it's a strange twist, as Third Apron's Yossi Gozlan pointed out on X, the league does appear to be trending towards role players having just one guaranteed season for multi-year deals.
"By my count, Norman Powell, Kristaps Porzingis, Keon Ellis, Robert Williams, Zach Collins, and now John Collins all received just one guaranteed season on multi-year contracts. We could be seeing a new normal for contracts of role players and lower-end starters."
Retaining Time Lord was one of the top offseason priorities for Portland. They also bolstered their frontcourt depth with a follow-up move in free agency, signing former Oklahoma City Thunder seven-footer Branden Carlson to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
With their shocking trade for Ja Morant, Portland now has a logjam of point guards. They envision a starting backcourt of Morant and Damian Lillard. However, there are serious questions regarding how that fits defensively for a team that has established the defensive side of the ball as their identity. Williams' rim protection and defensive versatility will help maintain some of that, giving Portland an elite backup option to spell Donovan Clingan.
Considering his importance to this roster, this $44 million extension was already reasonable as is. But now that Fischer reports the Blazers only have to fully guarantee Williams for just one season, this extension looks like a masterclass by GM Joe Cronin.
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