The Portland Trail Blazers were eliminated at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, and now center Robert Williams III is set to enter unrestricted free agency where he should be a target of the Golden State Warriors.
The Trail Blazers may have been defeated in just five games, but Williams only added to his value as a team like the Warriors wades through their options amid an uncertain center rotation heading into the offseason.
Robert Williams III might be a perfect free agency target for the Warriors
After averaging 9.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks through the first four games, Williams was again one of Portland's better players as the series came to a close with a 114-95 defeat.
Williams had 11 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a block in 17 minutes off the bench, though his 5-of-10 shooting was less efficient than the over 70% he shot from the floor during the first four games of the series.
After three incredibly injury-plagued seasons where he appeared in 61 combined games, Williams finally got his body right this year and subsequently appeared in 64 regular season and playoff games.
This makes Williams an incredibly interesting free agent to monitor this summer. After being a starter for the Boston Celtics during their run to the Finals against the Warriors in 2022, the 6'9" big man has once again just proven he's a valuable postseason rotation player. However, the injury concerns from the previous three seasons are still reason for caution, and might be why Golden State could actually afford him in free agency.
Having now finished a four-year, $48 million contract, it's hard to determine what kind of new deal Williams could generate this offseason. The 28-year-old may certainly get around $12-15 million per year, but it's unlikely it's a long-term deal because of the injury risks.
Charles Bassey proved the value of a two-way interior big man
The Warriors have prioritized stretch centers recently in the form of Quinten Post, Al Horford and most recently Kristaps Porzingis, but Charles Bassey's impact over the final five games of the regular season while on a 10-day contract proved the value of a more traditional interior big man.
Williams could be a better, more proven option as a genuine rim protector, strong rebounder and efficient threat around the basket. His real value might lie in his passing ability as a big man, while Williams has also shown the occasional ability to step out and take some threes.
With the Warriors not having any of their centers currently contracted for next season, the front office should be doing their due diligence on Williams to see what deal it would take to bring him to the Bay Area.
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