Portland is changing the pace of the Robert Williams III trade
The The Portland Trail Blazers started to fight for the 2025-26 season, as seen with their trade for Jrue Holidaywinning move for the veteran fullback. They currently have an 8-10 record at the time of writing, which holds them in ninth place in the Western Conference. That’s good enough for a spot in the tournament in the meantime, and the Blazers will look forward to improved play once they get key pieces back from injury.
But the Blazers have depth issues to address if they were to contend in a loaded West. At least they have some pieces to try to replace if they want to continue with some in-depth upgrades. One of those pieces that could end up on the trading block is Robert Williams IIIthe oft-injured big man who is in the final year of his contract.
With Williams’ expiring contract, the Blazers reportedly have showed more will to trade him, according to NBA insider Jake Fisher. This contrasts with the Blazers’ stance last year where they held on to a huge return in any potential Williams trade.
It’s pretty strange that a team with depth issues would want to give up a rotation player like Williams. The Blazers have other centers, such as Duop Ritt and 2025 first-round pick Young Hansen, on the roster to back up Donovan Klingan, but Williams is solidifying as a key cog for interim head coach Tiago Splitter’s team.
There should remain plenty of interest in Williams as a big-time running and rim-protecting player who won’t need a long-term commitment on any team’s books.
Blazers Robert Williams III’s tenure may be coming to an end
The Blazers acquired Williams as part of the trade that sent Holiday to the Boston Celtics in 2023. Since then, Williams has only played in 38 games in a Blazers uniform, which is a bit of a concern for any team that wanted to trade for him in the past.
But now, Williams is in the final year of his $13.3 million contract. Alas, while teams will inevitably register interest in him, it’s hard to determine which candidate could use his services at this point.
2025-11-27 04:28:00
