In the hours before free agency opened, the Portland Trail Blazers were able to bring back veteran center Robert Williams on an incredibly team-friendly deal. The three-year-agreement ensures the big Louisianan remains in Blazers colors until the age of 31, assuming he isn’t traded and that he stays healthy.
Williams arrived in Portland in the second half of 2023’s Damian Lillard trade. At the time, he was considered a huge coup for the rebuilding Blazers given his defensive prowess, despite his injury
history.
Unfortunately, that history repeated when the big was held to just 26 games through his first two seasons in Oregon. Many, including this writer, suggested the injuries were going to be insurmountable and that the Blazers should subsequently move him for the best possible return.
But through hard work and rehab, Williams made it back onto the court to play 59 games in 2025-26 and could have played more if the team had allowed him to compete in both sides of back-to-backs. The Blazers medical staff likely played a huge role in keeping him healthy, which may have been a factor in his return.
Through those 59 games, Williams averaged 6.7 points on 70.8 percen from the field, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes. He even began hitting corner three pointers, shooting true on 9 of 23 and another 3 of 9 during the Blazers five playoff games
Among bigs, he ranked eighth in both points per shot attempt at 1.43 and effective field goal percentage at 72.6 percent. He was fifth in both two point shot attempts at 74.0 percent and block rate, swatting 4.3 percent of opposition shots.
Through those five playoff games against the San Antonio Spurs, Williams proved more valuabable than his corresponding starter Donovan Clingan, using veteran guile and athleticism to keep the Blazers competitive.
The Contract
In the days before the opening of free agency, it appeared the successful season and playoff run would earn Williams a contract with a different franchise. Fortunately for Portland, the 28-year-old opted to stay in Portland on a three-year, $44 million deal, with a partial guarantee ($5 million) on the second year and a non-guaranteed third. He fulfills those obligations by playing 50 games the year prior.
While I’m reluctant to believe every team with reported interest in Williams, I have no doubt he had interest right across the league. In lead up to free agency, I suggested the Blazers go above the $15 million Mid-Level exception to keep him around. The Blazers wouldn’t actually need the Mid-Level to sign up as they had Williams’ Bird Rights, but it would be a strategic way to outbid the competition.
In the end, the Blazers were able to get him for below that amount, while able to have the contract include non and partial guaranteed insurances in case those injuries re-reared their ugly heads.
His Importance
Donovan Clingan will remain this team’s starting center moving forward. But with Yang Hansen still a question mark and new signing Branden Carlson still to prove he deserves minutes, Williams will be crucial if this team has any hope of winning real games of basketball next season.
Together, Clingan and Williams will serve as one of the better center rotations in the NBA, boasting real defensive versatility, a lot of rim pressure, a little bit of shooting and size. While both protect the rim, Williams’ instincts, leaping ability, athleiticism. finishing and overall judgement are probably better at this point. In certain matchups, he may even be called up on to play ahead of or more than Clingan, if the opposition big can operate competently from beyond the arc.
On offense, his ability to work as a roller and finisher, in dribble hand offs and passing out of traffic, are elite. While he’s not a jump shooter, he can hit open shots. Perhaps, his biggest asset on that end of the court is his nose for offensive rebounds and tap outs giving himself and teammates another chance to put points on the board.
The dream with Williams was always him returning to the 2021-22 form that helped the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. The form that earned him seventh place in Defenisve Player of the Year voting and All NBA Second team honors. While this dream may be just that at this point in his career, a healthy Williams is very much an elite starting center in this league.
The outside interest in Williams was predicated on health and perhaps that caveat was the reason why the Blazers were able to bring him back for less than the Mid-Level Exception. On this contract, the Blazers are still giving Williams the opportunity to get back to that prime form.
Conclusion
Aside from the low, low price it took to get him, I still have no idea how the Ja Morant plan is going to work out in Portland. Confusion is less an issue with Williams who showed this past season the impact he can have when he can actually stay on the floor.
The Blazers front office needs to do a heck of lot more to get this team even close to contention but bringing back Williams on this particular deal for the next three years means no one needs to worry about the center rotation.
We should also be confident in the Blazers’ medical staff who have been able to find a way to keep him on the court. The next test will be to see if he can consistently play at least 50 games a season, including suiting up in both ends of Blazers back-to-backs. Whether he’s able to return to the 2021-22 Boston Celtics form is probably unlikely but if the Blazers are able to keep him on the court at 70 percent of that prime, then we should be happy.
For someone who many believed was the failed piece in the Lillard trade, Williams is now only one of two players left from that two-part deal and will continue to contribute on this roster.
