The Portland Trail Blazers must decide on Robert Williams III's future by the end of the month. He's eligible for an extension, and Portland must do everything it can to retain him.
Williams proved his value with a relatively healthy and impactful season, as his 59 games played were the second most in his career. He was arguably one of the best backup bigs in the association, even significantly outplaying Donovan Clingan in their first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
The downside of that resurgent season is that Portland should now face more competition for Williams and, as a result, will have to pay more to keep him around. But given that Yang Hansen had a rocky rookie season that left far more questions than answers, extending Williams has become a necessity rather than a luxury.
Yang Hansen remains a multi-year project for Blazers
Hansen failed to crack Tiago Splitter's rotation, bouncing around from the NBA to the G League, where he looked like an entirely different player. It's far too early to declare him a bust, given that he's just 20 years old and still adjusting to life both in the NBA and overseas in general. However, what has become clear is that Hansen remains a multi-year project for Portland.
This is a Blazers team that ended a five-year playoff drought and has aspirations of a deeper run next season with Tom Dundon's arrival and Damian Lillard's return. They can't afford to risk wasting yet another year of Lillard's Hall of Fame career by having such a liability in terms of their frontcourt depth.
It's not the ideal situation for Portland, having to rely so heavily on an injury-prone and expiring Williams. You'd think they'd have the center spot solidified after investing consecutive first-round picks at the position, but that's part of the inconvenience that comes with Portland's massive gamble on Hansen.
Retaining Robert Williams III should be a top offseason priority
Portland is in a good enough spot financially to retain veterans Williams and Matisse Thybulle this summer, both of whom are eligible for up to a four-year, $87 million extension before June 30. Between the two, it's Williams who needs to be considered the top offseason priority for Portland.
The Blazers have successfully established a defensive identity throughout their rebuild, and Williams is a key piece to that puzzle. He's still an elite rim protector who is far better equipped to guard out on the perimeter than Clingan, giving the Blazers another dimension. Offensively, he remains a dangerous lob threat, giving Portland's backcourt a huge target in pick-and-rolls.
Eventually, the Blazers want Hansen to become an offensive hub and utilize his elite court vision at the top of the key. But as this season has shown, that's still years away from becoming a reality. if ever.
In the meantime, Portland needs to have Williams around as that stopgap, keeping them competitive and buying time for Hansen to develop his game.
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