Robert Williams III was a key part of the Portland Trail Blazers' initial Jrue Holiday trade with the Boston Celtics. In theory, he was a perfect fit for the versatile, defensive-minded roster that Blazers general manager Joe Cronin wanted to build. Although that remains the case in limited stretches, those instances are unfortunately few and far between.
In his two seasons since coming over to Portland, Time Lord has played a total of 26 games. This comes as no surprise, either, considering Williams has now totaled 235 games throughout his seven-year career.
Portland must move on from failed Robert Williams experiment
The Blazers haven't done a great job of maximizing their assets when it comes to the situation surrounding Williams, as Cronin's gamble on Williams' health has backfired multiple times. The first instance was in the trade, as Portland's package for flipping Holiday -- Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks -- has decreased in value. The second instance was when Portland built Williams' trade value up last season, but elected to stand pat at the trade deadline.
There was speculation that Portland could've received multiple second-round picks for Williams at the deadline. Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report shot that rumor down, deeming it "wishcasting" by other front offices.
That was a mistake, as the Blazers should've been all over that trade option had it been on the table. Williams was hurt shortly after the deadline, and now, Portland is back to square one.
They must build back his value by February, proving to teams that he's impactful and healthy yet again -- but this time, they must actually trade him.
The Blazers should have a higher sense of urgency to ship Williams this time around. For one, he's on an expiring contract, and his injury history doesn't inspire confidence in Portland continuing to invest in him long term. Additionally, Portland just spent consecutive first-round picks on Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, making Williams much more expendable.
After suffering another injury, it's possible Williams' value has further declined since last season's rumored asking price. Regardless, the Blazers need to be open to the idea of trading Williams for anything that could help them down the road.
They don't want to have Williams walk for nothing after the season. Or worse, sign him to another deal and continue this cycle. Repetition of this situation with Williams and the expectation of different results would be the definition of insanity.