Robert Williams III gave the Portland Trail Blazers exactly what they needed last season: stability.
After two injury-riddled years in Portland, Williams finally put together a healthy, productive campaign and rewarded the team by signing a three-year, $44 million contract extension this summer. The deal keeps one of the Blazers’ best defensive weapons in the fold, and it was among the clearest wins of their offseason.
Williams, who is 28 and listed at 6-foot-9 and 249 pounds, is set to begin his ninth NBA season with Portland expecting him to anchor the second unit as a backup center. He’ll make $14.4 million this season after producing 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 2025-26.
His value went beyond the box score. Portland leaned on a minutes restriction and kept him out of back-to-backs, and those safeguards helped him stay on the floor for 59 games - the second-highest total of his career and more than twice the number he played across his first two seasons with the Blazers. The result was a center who brought shot-blocking, rebounding, interior scoring, veteran presence and leadership to a young roster.
The finish only strengthened his case. In five playoff games, Williams averaged 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 blocks, and he outplayed starting center Donovan Clingan down the stretch.
Portland enters a new chapter later this month with a new owner, a new coach, a high-profile trade addition and bigger expectations after finishing seventh in the Western Conference and reaching the playoffs for the first time in five years. With media day set for September 28, Williams stands out as one of the players most likely to shape what comes next.
It’s still unclear whether the team will keep him on any playing-time limits, but Williams said in April that he wanted to move past them and “raise the bar.” If that happens, his role could grow even more. If not, the Blazers already know what they’re getting: a reliable interior presence who matters every night.
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