The Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III will be sidelined for four to six weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on Thursday to address inflammation in his left knee.
Injuries have been an issue for the big man throughout his seven-year NBA career, and that problem has only been exasperated over his two seasons in Portland. Since being acquired from the Boston Celtics in October 2023, he has only suited up for a total of 26 games for the Trail Blazers.
Nevertheless, the 2022 All-Defensive center remains impactful on the court. In 20 games this season, he averaged 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in only 17.6 minutes per game. That puts him on track to average 11.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes.
Williams also leads the Blazers (minimum 20 games played) in PER (19.0), box plus/minus (3.0), and win shares per 48 minutes (.174).
Portland currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference, within just two games of the play-in seeding. The Blazers’ final regular-season contest is slated for April 13. As such, should the Blazers fall short of the postseason, it’s likely that Williams will be done for the year.
The Blazers have a logjam at center with Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan and Williams on the roster. With one year left on his contract, Williams could be floated as a trade candidate this summer.
