The Portland Trail Blazers may have missed out on Peyton Watson, but the bigger prize from that five-team deal could end up being a name most fans barely know: Julian Reese.
Reese, a left-handed big man who went undrafted last year, spent just 13 games with the Washington Wizards. Even in that short stretch, though, he flashed enough to make you wonder whether Portland should take a hard look at him as a younger, cheaper stand-in for Robert Williams III if the need ever arises.
That doesn’t mean the Blazers should be looking to move on from Williams. Far from it.
He’s still expected to matter a lot in the rotation, especially because his defense can help cover for Donovan Clingan’s lack of mobility on the perimeter. He also rebounds well and finishes efficiently, which has always been the appeal with him despite the limited offensive game.
The real issue is durability. Williams played 59 games in the 2025-26 season, just two shy of a career high, but his first two years in Portland added up to only 26 appearances. The Blazers know exactly what kind of health risk they’re dealing with, which is why his contract extension was set up to protect the team if the injuries keep coming.
Yang Hansen might eventually become the backup center answer, but he’s not there yet. He hasn’t shown he can be a rotation-level NBA player, and the offensive upside he brings doesn’t answer the bigger question: can he hold up defensively against NBA bigs and all the switching that comes with the league today?
That leaves Portland in a familiar spot. Even if Hansen takes a step forward this season or next, the Blazers would still likely want Williams - or somebody who can give them similar production.
Reese at least gave a reason to pay attention. In his third career game, he exploded for 18 points and 20 rebounds against a Utah Jazz team that was tanking just like Washington.
Later, he beat up on Utah again with a 26-point, 17-rebound outing. He also scored in double figures over the final five games of the regular season.
For the year, Reese finished with 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
So why is he available? The answer is simple enough.
Washington already had Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, and Deandre Ayton lined up to soak up most of the minutes at the center spots, and the team wanted help in the backcourt, too. That’s how Tre Mann came into the Peyton Watson five-team trade, and Reese was the piece that had to go.
The Nuggets then waived him right away.
If Portland wants to see whether there’s something here, a training camp deal would make sense. It wouldn’t cost much to find out whether Reese can offer even a slice of what Williams brings.
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