The Bulls fielded one of the worst defenses in the NBA last season, but they could take a cheap flier on a rim-running, shot-blocking center to help clean things up. That player is Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III.
At his best (and healthiest), Williams is one of the best defenders in the league, regardless of position. He has every trait you could ask for in a center: He's an elite shot blocker and rebounder, athletic enough to move his feet and cover ground, and he's an explosive lob threat. The issue is, and has been for multiple seasons, that he can't stay on the court.
Still, it's worth taking a flier on what Williams can do for Chicago if he stays even remotely healthy.
Robert Williams III would theoretically give Bulls a much-needed boost
Rob Will's best pro season came in 2021-22. He started 61 games for the Boston Celtics and averaged 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He developed into the ideal low-usage, high-impact center teams in the modern NBA desire. He made the Second Team All-Defense squad and finished seventh in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Unfortunately, things turned sour for Williams. Quickly.
He's played 61 games over the last three seasons combined. He was traded from the Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers prior to the 2023-24 season, and even with Portland intentionally playing him only every other game, Williams' year still ended early after he dislocated his patellar tendon and tore a ligament in his right knee after six games.
Last season he played 20 games and 17.6 minutes per contest. He averaged 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 stocks before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on March 20, which ended another year prematurely.
Still, trading for Williams is a low-risk, high-reward proposition. He's entering the final season of a four-year, $48 million deal he signed with Boston in 2021. Given the Blazers' depth at center with Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan and Duop Reath, the 27-year-old Williams has been in trade rumors for the last two years. The reported asking price has been a pair of second-round picks.
The Bulls need what Williams can offer. Sending out a matching salary, like Kevin Huerter's $16.8 million expiring contract, plus a second-rounder or a pair of heavily protected second-rounders, should be enough to entice Portland. Lonzo Ball could also be another candidate included in a trade to match salaries.
If Williams can even give Chicago 40 games, that's 40 games of rim intimidation on both ends of the floor. The Texas A&M product can swat shots and gobble up rebounds, and the idea of him as a lob threat for Josh Giddey is drool-worthy.
The asking price isn't high. If it's another injury-plagued season for Williams, his $13 million comes off the books and the Bulls are out a second-round pick or two. It's a worthwhile risk for the type of interior force Chicago craves.
