The heart of the NBA offseason has come and gone, but this does not mean trade rumors are slowing down anytime soon. With less than a month until the start of training camp, many teams are practically done with building their roster in preparation for the 2024-25 season. However, it is not rare to see some big trades occur even this late into the offseason. Last year, most notably, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers just a few days before training camp. Furthermore, related to the Lillard trade, the Trail Blazers shipped out Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics just a few days later. In acquiring Holiday, the Celtics traded Robert Williams III alongside Malcolm Brogdon and picks. Now, it seems Williams could find himself in another late trade.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Trail Blazers big man is a legitimate trade candidate. On an episode of The Hoop Collective (YouTube link), Windhorst said the Trail Blazers “may be willing to part” with Williams. Additionally, Windhorst notes that Williams is “very tradeable” due to his contract.
“A guy to watch who is very tradable is ‘The Time Lord,’ one of the great nicknames in the whole NBA, Robert Williams. Coming back off injury, obviously, he’s a guy who’s had repeated injury problems, but he makes $13 million. They may be willing to part with him, and he could go to a contender and be a significant piece if he is healthy.”
Former Boston Celtics Anchor Named a Potential Trade Candidate
Injuries Have Derailed Robert Williams’ Career So Far
The Celtics drafted Williams out of Texas A&M with the 27th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. For the first three seasons of his career, Williams played a smaller role on the team due to constant injuries. However, he gradually improved and became a big part of the team. This culminated in his stellar 2021-22 campaign. During that season, the Louisiana native averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.2 blocks. He also started all 61 games he played in and averaged 29.6 minutes. All these numbers remain career highs for Williams. Williams was also selected to the All-Defensive Second Team for the first time in his career. Furthermore, he finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting and ninth in Most Improved Player voting.
Unfortunately for Williams and the Celtics, however, he struggled to stay healthy in 2022-23, playing in just 35 games. And last season, the Trail Blazers big man played in just six games for Portland before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
When Healthy, Robert Williams is a Major Asset
When Williams has been healthy enough to play his style of basketball, he is a fantastic player on the court. In addition to being a truly elite defensive talent, he is a good rebounder and an underrated passer. Williams was an important part of the Celtics’ NBA Finals run in 2022 and helped the team take it to the next level. There is no doubt the 26-year-old can contribute to a contending team right away. The only question, as has been the case for his whole career so far, is whether he will stay healthy for long enough to do so.
