The Los Angeles Lakers made a potentially brutal mistake when they included a second-year player option in Deandre Ayton's contract. Though it's unclear if Ayton intends to accept it and thus return for the 2026-27 season, he controls the future of the center position to some degree, if only because of the roster and salary space he'd take up.
As the Lakers aspire to improve the depth at center, however, they can learn from that mistake by pursuing Robert Williams III and potentially signing him to a deal that includes a second-year team option instead.
Ayton and Williams, former teammates, have similar hurdles ahead of them in the sense that many are skeptical about how they might fit with a new team. For Ayton, it's an unfortunate history of lackluster effort and intensity on the defensive end of the floor.
For Williams, it's an extensive injury history that forced him to miss 47 games in 2022-23, 76 in 2023-24, and 62 in 2025-26.
The good news for the Lakers is that the market for Williams could thus consist of teams that are too skeptical to commit to a long-term deal. That could ultimately level the playing field and pose a simple question: Who would be a better playmaker for Williams than Luka Doncic?
Assuming the Lakers can sell Williams on the virtue of a one-year deal with a club option, then they shouldn't be afraid to gamble on him as an ideal backup center.
Robert Williams III would be a worthy risk on a one-year deal
Williams appeared in 60 games in 2025-26, which has rekindled the intrigue in his abilities. During that time, he re-established himself as a top-tier rebounder and rim protector, as well as a crafty passer and all-around defensive force.
In other words: Williams did everything the Lakers need a center to do, and though he may not be a safe player to entrust the starting role to given his injury history, he can thrive as a reserve.
Williams finished the 2025-26 season with averages that translated to 14.2 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.0 offensive boards, 2.1 assists, 3.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes. Those numbers accurately reflect the remarkable interior impact that he has on the games he plays.
Considering Williams averaged 17.2 minutes per game in 2025-26, there's reason to believe he can fill the backup role with those very abilities if the Lakers find the ideal starting center.
Robert Williams III is exactly what the Lakers need—when healthy
Williams didn't just put up gaudy statistics flush with empty value. He ranked near the top of the NBA in several categories that reflect his impact, including the fact that he finished in the 99th percentile in rim deterrence, the 97th percentile in rim protection, and the 94th percentile in post defense, per Basketball Index.
Far from a flat-footed shot blocker, Williams also placed in the 91st percentile in screener rim defense and the 84th percentile in screener mobile defense—reflections of his elite pick-and-roll defense.
Each of those statistis reflect how much value Williams would bring to a Lakers team that's desperate for an interior anchor. They'd still need to find a starter and perhaps even draft a long-term answer at the position, but Williams is in the prime of his career at 28 and deserves a serious look after playing 60 games in 2025-26.
If the Lakers structure the contract responsibly, then signing Williams could be a landscape-altering move for a team in need of a defensive anchor who can offer exactly what he brings to the table.
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