The Portland Trail Blazers seem to have the centers of the future on the roster in Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen. Clingan has solidified his place as the team's starting 5, but many believe that Hansen's otherworldly two-way potential makes him a legitimate candidate to ultimately usurp him.
With this in mind, one can't help but wonder: How far from being a nightly rotational inclusion do the Trail Blazers believe Hansen is if they felt the need to re-sign Robert Williams III to a three-year deal?
Portland had every reason to want Williams back. When healthy, he's one of the best defensive big men in the NBA and is right in the prime of his career at 28 years of age. With Hansen seemingly needing more time to develop, a one or even two-year deal thus made sense.
Instead of creating space for Hansen to have a smooth transition to significant minutes, however, the Trail Blazers re-signed Williams to a three-year deal worth $44 million.
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III has agreed to sign a three-year, $44 million contract extension to return to the Portland Trail Blazers through 2028-29, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/HKVhuQkojM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2026
Though only one season is fully guaranteed, Portland is still investing nearly $15 million per season in a player who can't play alongside Clingan and may not be an ideal complement for Hansen, either.
If nothing else, they seem to be creating a form of insurance in case Hansen doesn't live up to the hype.
Is Portland preparing for Yang Hansen's potential underperformance?
Hansen arrived in Portland with considerable fanfare as a 7'1" and 270-pound titan of a center with a wing-like skill set. He was generally unrefined and needed time to adapt to the pace of the NBA game, but there were clear signs of star potential.
The hurdle with the selection was always going to be finding a way to play him alongside Clingan, however, as they're both interior-based talents with relatively slow foot speed.
Williams is an athletic big, but his lack of shooting suggests he won't play much next to Clingan or Hansen, either. Keep in mind: Clingan and Williams played a total of 16 possessions alongside one another during the 2025-26 season, per Cleaning the Glass, despite the fact that both appeared in at least 59 games.
Hansen and Williams played 89 possessions together, during which time the Trail Blazers were outscored by 23.4 points per 100 possessions.
That further hammers home the point that the Trail Blazers are about to pay Williams far more than they could justify for an individual who rarely sees the court. If Clingan and Hansen progress as expected, that's seemingly what will transpire as the younger players potentially surpass the veteran.
Perhaps it will all work out in the end, but the Trail Blazers made a hefty investment in a player who seemingly can't play next to Hansen. That certainly seems to have implications.
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