The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2025-26 season with four centers. After spending consecutive first-round picks to address the position, you'd expect them to be set when it comes to frontcourt depth. However, a perceived strength has surprisingly turned into a weakness for this Blazers roster, at least in the short term.
Yang Hansen has tantalizing upside, but remains a major work in progress and looks like a multi-year project before he's ready to make a meaningful impact. Duop Reath is out of the picture after season-ending surgery and a subsequent trade to the Atlanta Hawks. Frontcourt depth is already an issue for Portland, but that problem would've been exacerbated had they decided to move on from Robert Williams III at the trade deadline as well.
The Blazers still need Robert Williams III
With his expiring contract and injury history, Time Lord was one of the most likely trade candidates for Portland. They ultimately decided they valued him more than what he was worth on the market, and one month later, we're already seeing why that was the case.
Not only does Williams give Portland much-needed frontcourt depth, but he also offers Tiago Splitter another frontcourt dimension to work with.
As great as Donovan Clingan has been this season, he's not matchup-proof as certain teams with stretch fives look to exploit his drop coverage out on the perimeter. We most recently saw that in their loss to Atlanta, with Onyeka Okongwu going 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. That would've been a different story were Williams available, as he's a much better matchup for Okongwu's player archetype.
Unfortunately, Williams remains unreliable in terms of consistent availability. But to his credit, he's been relatively healthier this season. He's already played 42 games this season, which is the third most in his career and the most since joining Portland in 2023.
Would you rather have Williams for a portion of the season or not at all? The same reasons Portland would move on from him also make teams hesitant to part with assets, diminishing his market value as a result.
At this point, the Blazers are best off simply keeping him as a bridge to help achieve their short-term goals. They are committed to Hansen and Clingan as the center duo of the future -- a stance that likely hasn't changed despite the former's underwhelming rookie campaign. Why not keep Williams around until Hansen's ready? If/when that day comes, Portland can decide whether Williams is truly expendable.
But this season, he's exactly what they need.