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Trail Blazers PR: INJURY UPDATE: Robert Williams III and Chris Youngblood are AVAILABLE for today’s game @ UTA.
Trail Blazers PR: INJURY UPDATE: Robert Williams III (L Knee Injury Management) is DOUBTFUL for tonight’s game vs. MEM.
Before we get into the importance of Toumani Camara, the heroics of Robert Williams III, the unstoppable force that is Deni Avdija and the grit-and-grind of Sidy Cissoko, please consider this scene from the Trail Blazers’ 128-120 victory over Sacramento on Friday night. Over the final two minutes of a close, knock-em-down, drag-it-out game, Blazers coach Micah Nori did what few — if any — coaches have dared to do in the past decade: He substituted Damian Lillard and Ja Morant out of the game in favor of players who were better defenders. “Neither one of us, you know, are probably used to that,” Lillard told The Athletic.
Robert Williams III: “The only selfish person on this team is Shaedon (Sharpe). No, I’m joking, I’m joking. But you know man, we were just talking about sacrifices for the team. One win, we all win. I feel like that’s the biggest goal. We understand that, especially the late run we had last year going into the playoffs. One win, we all win.”
Sean Highkin: Damian Lillard and Robert Williams are resting today and will play tomorrow. Micah Nori says Jrue Holiday will start alongside Ja Morant today, and tomorrow in Sacramento likely Dame and Scoot Henderson start together with Ja and Jrue coming off the bench.
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Sean Highkin: Robert Williams III: "I went through a lot of injuries. Just happy to be back playing. I'm glad it's in Portland." Says he's still working through the plan for the season with the medical staff but doesn't anticipate as many minutes restrictions as he had last year.
Jake Fischer: Dean Wade's deal with the Sixers has a partial guarantee in Year 4, per source. In Portland, I'm told Robert Williams' extension is fully guaranteed at $14 million for this season, but just $5 million guaranteed in Year 2, which becomes fully guaranteed if he plays 50 games this 2026-27 campaign. Then, Year 3 is entirely non-guaranteed, but becomes fully guaranteed if Williams plays 50 games in 27-28. Wonky...
Toumani Buckets: I LOVE ROBERT WILLIAMS
Shams Charania: Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III has agreed to sign a three-year, $44 million contract extension to return to the Portland Trail Blazers through 2028-29, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management tells ESPN.
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The Blazers’ 15-man regular season roster features 10 players under guaranteed contract and two more — Vit Krejčí and Sidy Cissoko — with team options. The Blazers are expected to exercise both team options, giving them 12 players under contract. This leaves them with three unrestricted free agents: Robert Williams III, Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley. A team source told The Oregonian/OregonLive earlier this month the Blazers have interest in retaining all three players “if the deal makes sense.” And Williams, in particular, should be a priority.
The Blazers have immediate needs at center and power forward. They are not expected to retain free agent center Robert Williams III, who is hoping to land a contract in the $15 million a year range, leaving only second-year center Yang Hansen as a backup to Donovan Clingan. The Blazers are also thin at power forward, with Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara their only options.
The Blazers have immediate needs at center and power forward. They are not expected to retain free agent center Robert Williams III, who is hoping to land a contract in the $15 million a year range, leaving only second-year center Yang Hansen as a backup to Donovan Clingan.
Robert Williams III is an option, though Portland, according to league sources, is expected to show interest in re-signing him after he played 59 games last season — second-most in his injury-hampered career. It’s a bit of bad luck for the Lakers to be looking for a rim-running, rim-protecting center at a time when there aren’t many of them in the league — not to mention ones that are available.