NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that, compared to last season, the Portland Trail Blazers are expected to be more willing to trade Robert Williams III (subscription required) by the February 5 trade deadline.
"I've also been told that Portland is forecasted to be more willing to move Robert Williams III this season compared to last season, when the Trail Blazers maintained a high asking price for the oft-injured big man," Fischer writes.
Williams was heavily involved in trade rumors last season with an anticipated asking price of multiple second-round picks, but the Blazers ultimately decided they valued him higher than what the market for him was worth. However, things could be different this time around for several reasons.
The Blazers should trade Robert Williams III
For one, Portland has now invested back-to-back first-round picks at the center position between Donovan Clingan and, most recently, Yang Hansen, leaving Williams' long-term fit in question and making him more expendable overall.
Additionally, Williams is on an expiring $13.3 million deal, finally forcing Portland to decide on the future of their talented but injury-prone big man one way or another.
Williams has been playing well for Portland this season, averaging 5.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 15.3 minutes per game. He has the second-best defensive rating (110.3) on the Blazers roster, behind only Matisse Thybulle (102.6). With how impactful and relatively healthy he's been as of late, this could be a good opportunity for Portland to maximize whatever trade value remains.
That loss would undoubtedly hurt the Blazers' postseason chances, but they have emphasized a long-term outlook throughout this rebuild, and must maintain that with this tough decision.
Clingan's floor as an elite rim protector and Hansen's ceiling as a potential offensive hub is the frontcourt formula for Portland going forward, and to keep Williams around just unnecessarily complicates things. We've seen that this season, with Williams beating out Hansen in the depth chart, and Portland's rookie failing to crack the rotation to play developmental minutes as a result.
Given his expiring contract and extensive injury history, it could be difficult for the Blazers to land significant assets for Williams despite his play this season. Still, Portland should receive something and proactively address this contract dilemma.
It makes perfect sense to ship him to a contender, even if it's just a short-term rental, as Williams is a game-changing talent when healthy. It remains to be seen what teams are interested in his services, but a few frontcourt-lacking teams on a playoff trajectory include the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and even his former team, the Boston Celtics.