Despite being just 26 years old, Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III already has an extensive injury history so far in his NBA career. In his six seasons, Williams III has played more than 35 games in only two of them. Prior to coming over to Portland, Williams had two left knee surgeries with the Celtics. Unfortunately, he only played six games with the Blazers last season before a torn right knee ligament.
Robert Williams III injury history
Here are all the injuries Williams has had so far in his career:
Date | Injury |
|---|---|
11/05/23 | Knee |
04/08/23 | Knee |
03/29/23 | Knee |
03/03/23 | Hamstring |
02/15/23 | Ankle |
2/13/23 | Ankle |
2/7/23 | Ankle |
1/28/23 | Ankle |
1/21/23 | Knee |
1/10/23 | Knee |
1/2/23 | Knee |
9/20/22 | Knee |
2/15/22 | Calf |
1/1/22 | Toe |
11/15/21 | Knee |
5/28/21 | Ankle |
5/18/21 | Toe |
5/9/21 | Foot |
5/6/21 | Foot |
4/27/21 | Knee |
4/15/21 | Knee |
2/11/21 | Left Hip |
3/9/20 | Back |
12/8/19 | Hip |
11/16/19 | Right Ankle Soreness |
11/13/19 | Ankle |
11/1/19 | Left Hip |
3/23/19 | Lower Back Contusion |
2/12/19 | Back |
2/13/19 | Lower Back Soreness |
12/27/18 | Groin |
The Blazers should have immediately flipped Williams III
The Blazers acquired Williams as part of the Jrue Holiday deal with the Boston Celtics. This was the deal in its entirety:
Celtics get:
- Jrue Holiday
Blazers get:
- Malcolm Brogdon
- Robert Williams
- 2024 first-round pick (via Warriors)
- 2029 first-round pick (via Celtics)
Holiday was a pivotal contributor to the Celtics' championship run last season. Still, it was a reasonable trade at the time, as Portland was entering rebuilding mode after shipping Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
Williams is a 2022 NBA All-Defensive Second Team member and an elite defender when healthy. For his career, he has averaged 7.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game on highly efficient 73 percent shooting from the field.
The other assets involved in the deal, Brogdon and the two first-round picks, helped the Blazers land a long-term piece of their core in the Deni Avdija trade. This was the Avdija deal with Washington:
Wizards get:
- Malcolm Brogdon
- Carlton Carrington (14th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft)
- 2029 first-round pick (second-most favorable from Portland)
- 2028 second-round pick
- 2030 second-round pick
Trail Blazers get:
- Deni Avdija
From the standpoint of Holiday for Avdija and RW3, it's not a bad trade for Portland. But the Blazers would have been better off flipping Williams after they acquired him. They gambled on his ability to stay healthy, and it almost immediately backfired six games into the season. Now, the Blazers likely have to hold onto Williams and hope he can boost his trade value by consistently staying healthy.