5 Trade scenarios Blazers must prepare for this upcoming season

Robert Williams III can (or can't) stay healthy

Robert Williams III was a key piece in the Blazers' Jrue Holiday trade with the Boston Celtics. When healthy, he's among the association's best defenders, as evidenced by his NBA All-Defensive Second Team honor in 2022. But he hasn't been able to stay on the court consistently due to a multitude of injuries.

RW3 only suited up in six games as a member of the Blazers before suffering a torn right knee ligament. So far in his six seasons, he's only exceeded 35 games played in two of them. But there's some reason for optimism, at least in the short term. There has been no recent news surrounding RW3's recovery. Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report mentioned that Williams should be ready to go by training camp, but it remains to be seen if that is still the case since that was back in July.

It makes sense for the Blazers to hold onto Williams for now, as it will likely be hard to find a team willing to sacrifice significant trade assets until he's proven his ability to stay on the court. The Blazers should keep Williams until at least the trade deadline, but they must prepare for both best and worst-case scenarios.

If he can't stay healthy, it's not like his trade value will decrease significantly since that's already the perception around the league of him. But if he stays healthy and returns to his old ways of being an impactful two-way player, Portland will have a tough decision to make.

Do they trade Williams while he's at peak value, or consider trading another center like Deandre Ayton? The answer could depend on how much they trust Williams to maintain his health, even if he can put together a consistent stretch of games before the deadline.