The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's how the Portland Trail Blazers are handling the Robert Williams III situation.
Last summer, Williams needed to get healthy to boost his trade value so that the Blazers could move him at the deadline. Williams played just six games in 2023-24 due to season-ending knee surgery. Everything was going to plan in terms of Williams boosting his trade value, showing flashes of being that impactful two-way big man he was in Boston as an elite lob threat and rim protector.
But the Blazers fell for their own trap, overvaluing Williams at the deadline and deciding to stand pat.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Williams was shut down for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to address left knee inflammation. Williams was great when he was in, but he played just 20 games.
As a result, we are now back to square one.
Blazers have to build up Robert Williams' trade value... again
Here's what Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian recently wrote about Williams' trade value: "At this point, Williams' trade value is largely limited to his expiring contract. A rebuilding team wouldn't value him, while a contending team couldn't trust that he would remain healthy long enough to help them win."
In other words, it will be difficult for teams to invest valuable assets in someone who has averaged just 20 games played in the past three seasons and has an extensive injury history. The Blazers could be better off retaining Williams in an attempt to prove he's healthy and increase his trade value at the deadline.
Sports Illustrated's Nelson Espinal shared a similar view: "The best course of action for Portland might be to hold onto the player, hoping he can get healthy over the offseason, and trying to move him at the deadline to a contender."
Sound familiar? That's exactly what the Blazers were attempting to -- and successfully did -- last season. That is, up until they decided not to trade him.
Similar to how GM Joe Cronin handled the Jerami Grant situation, the Blazers overvalued a player who didn't fit their timeline, had a market for him, and now find themselves stuck with two neutral (or, in Grant's case, potentially negative) assets.
If Williams' value has deflated to simply being an expiring contract, Portland would now be better off holding onto him unless he has to be included as a salary filler for a blockbuster deal.
The cycle continues.