The Houston Rockets have been a very good team all season, but the toughest stretch of the campaign is ahead.
They could use another scorer off the bench.
However, it seems like they’re also looking to bolster their frontcourt rotation.
According to a report by Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Rockets have held exploratory talks with the Portland Trail Blazers regarding the availability of Robert Williams III.
The Rockets and Trail Blazers recently conducted exploratory trade talks centered on Robert Williams.
Houston is openly shopping Jock Landale’s non-guaranteed multi-year contract in order to upgrade their frontcourt.
Portland has strong interest from contenders on Williams. pic.twitter.com/5WCYHt4IUH
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 21, 2025
Williams has missed some time with injuries, and that has always been a concern with him.
However, he’s an outstanding defender and offensive rebounder, and he’s very efficient in limited time off the bench.
The Trail Blazers have their big man of the future in Donovan Clingan, and Deandre Ayton continues to hold on to the starting spot for now, so it could make sense for them to move on from the veteran.
As for the Rockets, they know Alperen Sengun cannot hold his own on defense for long stretches, so Williams could be of help in certain matchups.
Multiple teams could be in the mix to land a proven veteran like Williams heading toward the NBA trade deadline.
He doesn’t need many touches to be efficient, and despite being undersized, his hops and athleticism make him hard to deal with and keep away from the offensive glass.
Ime Udoka’s team may be a year or two away from real contention.
They do play outstanding team defense and thrive off their athleticism, and Williams checks both boxes and would be a seamless fit for them.
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