4:49 pm: The Trail Blazers have officially announced their three-year deal with Williams, completing it as a veteran extension before he reached free agency.
“Rob has proven to be one of the league’s most impactful defenders, bringing rim protection, rebounding, and offensive feel and versatility to our frontcourt,” general manager Joe Cronin said in a statement. “His veteran presence off the court has helped establish a culture of tenacity, grit, and accountability with our young guys, and we are excited to have him continue represent Rip City.”
[Update: Williams’ extension isn’t fully guaranteed. We have more details here.]
10:49 am: Robert Williams will re-sign with the Trail Blazers for $44MM over three years, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old center has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but he was able to appear in 59 games this season, averaging 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes per night. He proved to be an effective backup for Donovan Clingan as Portland made a surprise run to the playoffs and should be a good value on his new contract as long as he can stay relatively healthy.
A recent report stated that Williams was looking for a new deal worth $15MM per year, and he was able to get close to that while remaining with the Blazers.
A source tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that Williams reached out to team officials during the past 24 hours to express his desire to return because he likes where they’re headed and wants to play for new head coach Micah Nori. The Blazers didn’t believe they could afford to re-sign Williams, but they were able to reach an agreement that satisfies both sides.
Williams’ decision takes one of the prominent big men off the board before free agency begins later today. Teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Nets and Pelicans that are looking for center help will have one fewer option to pursue.
The new deal for Williams leaves Portland about $14MM below the luxury tax line, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link). The team can use most of its $15MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign another free agent without moving into tax territory. The Blazers also have access to the $5.5MM bi-annual exception and a pair of small trade exceptions.
Portland may need to target another forward after agreeing Monday to send Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis in the Ja Morant trade. The Blazers suddenly have a very crowded backcourt and holes to fill on the front line, which may have created an urgency to re-sign Williams.
Williams’ deal can be officially completed either as an extension before the end of the day on Tuesday or as a free agent deal beginning on July 6. If he signs an extension today, he could be immediately trade-eligible, depending on the exact terms of the contract, though there’s no indication Portland will look to move him anytime soon.
