The Portland Trail Blazers rookie, Yang Hansen, is beginning to look more like a project than they initially expected. After a slow and somewhat concerning start to his NBA career, the Blazers should now strongly consider holding onto center Robert Williams III as insurance.
Time Lord was considered a trade candidate at last year's deadline, but the Blazers ultimately valued him more than the market for him was worth. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report even noted that the reported asking price of multiple second-round picks was "wishcasting" by other front offices.
The Blazers have consistently valued Williams highly, identifying him as a key return from their initial Jrue Holiday trade with the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, teams are reluctant to sacrifice significant assets due to his extensive injury history. Despite these factors, the likelihood of Portland trading Williams by February's deadline seemed to have increased compared to last year.
For one, the Blazers have now invested consecutive first-round selections at the center position. Additionally, Williams is on an expiring contract, forcing Portland to either re-sign an injury-prone center (despite their young big men) or trade him before losing him for nothing in free agency. With so much uncertainty surrounding Hansen's career trajectory and ability to adjust to the speed of the NBA, the Blazers should now consider the former.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Yang Hansen, Portland should keep Robert Williams III
Williams is currently proving to be impactful and healthy for Portland, averaging 3.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 11.9 minutes per game. He has the fourth-best defensive rating (115.7) on their roster and is a perfect fit for what they are trying to accomplish defensively with their newfound identity.
Not only does he provide insurance should their Hansen experiment not pan out, but he also offers interim head coach Tiago Splitter another dimension as a versatile 6-foot-9 big man who is better equipped to guard out on the perimeter than their traditional centers in Hansen or Donovan Clingan.
Williams has only exceeded 35 games played in two seasons throughout his career. While that is obviously concerning, it's also why Portland is better off holding onto him at this point. He may be healthy now, but no team is going to be convinced this will be sustainable enough to invest legitimate assets in him.
The Blazers have a crowded frontcourt, but they also have a lot of question marks in that rotation. Given the uncertainties surrounding Hansen's development and Williams' injury-proneness, they'd be better off holding onto both to mitigate risk.