The Portland Trail Blazers have made center Robert Williams III available for trade (subscription required), NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported on The Stein Line.
Williams has been impactful for the Blazers when healthy, which could be why it's the perfect opportunity to sell relatively high. The talented but injury-prone big man is on an expiring $13.3 million contract. If the Blazers determine that his injury history isn't worth the risk of a new deal, they'd be better off moving him prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline rather than letting him walk in free agency for nothing.
Fischer adds that the Blazers could be sneaky buyers at the deadline, as they have these mid-tier contracts like Williams and Matisse Thybulle ($11.6 million) to aggregate for a trade.
"Both teams are known to have made a center available for trade: Nick Richards in Phoenix and Robert Williams III in Portland. Curiosity is bubbling, though, about the Suns or Blazers emerging as sneaky buyers at the deadline. Both teams possess various mid-tier contracts that could be aggregated to go after various players on the market. Which has rival executives mentioning these two as teams to monitor," Fischer writes.
Blazers are open to trading Robert Williams III
Thanks to the new CBA, teams value financial flexibility now more than ever. So the fact that Williams and Thybulle are both on expiring contracts makes it much easier to find a potential trade partner. Even if a team isn't that interested in Williams, they could easily take him on as a salary filler if there's enough draft capital attached. That gives Portland the flexibility to find the right piece to add to its existing core.
On the other hand, what if the Blazers are looking to position themselves as sellers with this deal in particular? What teams are interested enough in acquiring Williams to the point where they'd be willing to sacrifice assets for an injury-prone player on an expiring deal?
While Fischer didn't link Williams to anywhere specific, he did mention teams that are looking for frontcourt help, including the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Indiana Pacers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly looking primarily for 3-and-D wings, but Williams would also make sense as a band-aid solution to their glaring frontcourt and defensive problems. A potential reunion with the Celtics also has to be intriguing for both parties. Williams played his best basketball in Boston, while the Celtics suddenly find themselves in a unique position as a team that could justifiably be buyers to contend in the weakened Eastern Conference, especially if Jayson Tatum returns this season.
The specific landing spot remains to be seen, but the Blazers were expected to be more willing to trade Williams compared to last year's trade deadline. With this latest report of Portland making its big man available, a trade before Feb. 5 is becoming increasingly likely.