Turning to Deandre Ayton as the starting center again next season would be like the Los Angeles Lakers still believing they could fix that partner who has shown very little ability to change. The Lakers need to dust themselves off, get back out there, and look for an upgrade on the open market.
One of the fresh new names that will surely have the attention of Rob Pelinka is bound to be Robert Williams III. However, as can often be the case with anyone readily available, Williams comes with a ton of baggage. For the Portland Trail Blazers center, that mostly has to do with his injury history.
Williams played 59 regular season games for the Blazers last season. That was considered a healthy campaign for him. Relative to the 61 total regular season contests played from 2022-23 through 2024-25, that would be his standard for good health. Therein lies the problem.
Williams only played more regular season games in 2021-22, during which he appeared in a career-high 61 matchups for the Boston Celtics and made the All-Defensive Second Team. That latter part hints to why he would be undeniably attractive for the Lakers. Even so, that is not enough to ignore the "proceed with caution" that is draped all over him otherwise.
Robert Williams III may not truly fit the role Lakers would want him for
If the Lakers want to be calculated with their spending this summer, they should have Jaxson Hayes penciled in as the backup center in Los Angeles. That means what they are solely looking for in the immediate future for the frontcourt is a starter. That is not Williams.
The Blazers center has not been a regular starter since 2022-23. The reason for that has already been quietly revealed. His body may not be durable enough for those responsibilities.
A Western Conference executive said just that to Tim Bontemps and the group of NBA insiders at ESPN. A recent look at some of the top free agent targets available in the 2026 offseason delivered a telling account of the concerns surrounding Williams.
Bontemps wrote: "The injury history will scare a lot of teams off,' a West executive said. 'But when he plays, he's good. You just can't expect him to start for you because he won't be on the court if you play him that many minutes. He'll be good value if -- a huge if -- he can stay on the floor."
Moving forward with Williams could turn out to be as problematic as suggested by the executive who spoke to Bontemps. If the Lakers are bringing him in as their starter, the workload could prove to be way more than he could handle.
The Lakers could pursue him as a backup option, but Bontemps also highlighted that Williams is expected to command an offer close to $10 million per year. That is a lot of money to fork over to an injury-prone backup.
Williams can be a plus as a defender, rebounder, and playmaking outlet. Those are several boxes ticked in what Luka Doncic wants as a center. However, at the price he projects for, the Lakers may want to invest their money somewhere else.
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