Bobby Marks: Robert Williams III could be an option for the Lakers
· Yahoo Sports
Throughout the NBA, there has been a renaissance at the center position over the last several years. Everyone talks about Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, but there are plenty of other quality centers across the league these days, especially in the Western Conference.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a player who plays like a quality center a fair amount of the time in Deandre Ayton. But he also plays lackadaisical basketball quite often, and he has been viewed as a disappointment. Many feel the Lakers need some sort of upgrade at the 5 in order to become championship contenders.
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ESPN analyst Bobby Marks was asked by Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan of ESPN LA 710 radio if there are big men the team could acquire in order to compete with the quality big men on other good and great teams. Marks said that Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers has been talked about as an option.
“The one name that basically picked up the most buzz, a lot of teams in Chicago last week, was Robert Williams,” Marks responded. “That’s the name.
“Now you have to be cautious with that because the games, availability, the minutes. That’s the one guy, I don’t want to say neutralized Victor, but I think guarded him probably one of the best in the playoffs in the first round. That would be the guy.
“He’s probably one of the top unrestricted free agents centers out there and I think he gives you that shot blocker, that rim protector, that guy that can (be a) lob threat for Luka. Now the question is what’s the cost? Is it $12-13 million? I think that’s kind of where his range is, but there will be other teams that also see that.”
Availability has been the big bone of contention for Williams over the years. He has appeared in at least 60 games in a season just once since coming into the league in 2018, and he played in a total of just 61 games during the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. This season, he took part in 59 regular-season contests, which is still a relatively low number.
But he has always been a very capable rebounder and shot-blocker. He has career averages of 7.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 19.6 minutes a game, and he's also a fairly reliable finisher at or near the basket. He also possesses ample athleticism, which is one quality Los Angeles lacks, and he went to the Eastern Conference finals three times as a member of the Boston Celtics.
If Ayton, who has a player option for next season, remains on the team, Williams could make an excellent backup, as long as L.A. has a third-string center behind him.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Bobby Marks: Robert Williams III could be an option for the Lakers