Robert Williams III played 59 games for the Portland Trail Blazers this season. That was the second most throughout his eight-year career.
"Thankful I could stay healthy for the whole year, that's the biggest thing," Williams said at his exit interview. "I put a lot of work in this summer."
That total could've been higher had Portland not taken a cautious approach to his injury management, including a minutes restriction and not being able to play back-to-backs. But now that he's gotten through a full season healthy, Williams said his next goal is getting off those restrictions.
That formula clearly worked for Williams and the Blazers, resulting in his most productive season since joining the team in 2023. Why change it?
Robert Williams III wants to change a formula that finally worked
Most importantly, this conservative approach kept Williams fresh and healthy for the postseason, where he made a major impact in the series against the San Antonio Spurs. He even significantly outplayed Donovan Clingan throughout the series, making a compelling case to start as the series progressed (though Tiago Splitter questionably never made the adjustment).
Given Williams extensive injury history, this season went about as well as the Blazers could've ever expected. It's even completely changed our opinion on whether they should keep Williams around going forward.
Williams has survived countless trade rumors as the Blazers have consistently valued him more than what he's worth on the trade market, particularly given his injury history. Now, we're finally understanding why the Blazers held onto Time Lord through the ups and downs.
Blazers should retain Robert Williams this summer
He's on an expiring $13.3 million contract and will be the biggest decision Portland has to make regarding who to retain. They are in a good enough financial situation to bring back both Williams and Matisse Thybulle if they wanted, though the former has made the much stronger case.
If Portland does bring Williams back, they would have to extend his contract before June 30, which is eligible up to four years, $87 million (the same goes for Thybulle). As ESPN's Bobby Marks noted in his offseason guide, Portland would be wise to include an injury protection or a games played clause in that next contract.
That could mitigate some of the risk in Williams' new ambitious goal of playing in back-to-backs and more minutes overall. And while we understand that he's personally eager to put these injury concerns behind him, unfortunately, that's not the right approach Portland should take if they keep him around.
Blazers can't afford to risk another Robert Williams injury
It would be one thing if Williams were simply a luxury that they could afford to lose for extended stretches. That's not the case, despite drafting back-to-back centers. This season, in particular, has proven how irreplaceable Williams is to this Blazers roster.
He's an integral part of their defensive identity, giving Splitter more flexibility as a big man who is better equipped to switch onto guards out on the perimeter. Offensively, Williams is also one of the most underrated lob threats in the league, giving them more versatility than a stagnant Clingan, who often camps out on the perimeter.
The Blazers have developed an identity that has proven to translate well to the physical style of play that comes with postseason basketball. They need to keep Williams around, but they also need him to be available. That means sticking with the formula that has finally proven to work.
If the Blazers decide to recommit to Williams, there's no reason to risk reinjury for a few more regular-season wins in the short term. They must continue to play the long game, keeping him around for what should hopefully be a deep playoff run next season.
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