The Portland Trail Blazers went into the free agency period overstocked with centers. The Blazers invested into the center position for two NBA Drafts in a row. In 2024, they selected Donovan Clingan with the 7th overall pick.
Knicks Could Land Considerable Frontcourt Boost With Key Trade Acquisition originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Portland Trail Blazers went into the free agency period overstocked with centers. A DeAndre Ayton buyout cleared up that abundance a touch. However, Robert Williams III remains as a name to watch in Portland.
The Blazers invested into the center position for two NBA Drafts in a row. In 2024, they selected Donovan Clingan with the 7th overall pick. In 2025, Yang Hansen was on his way to the Blazers with the 16th overall selection.
Both of those players need the on-court minutes to bloom and develop in the 2025-26 NBA season. The room to nurture them properly may not exist with Williams also looking for minutes. Likewise, the Blazers veteran big is simply too talented to just bury on a depth chart.
If, or when, Portland decides to move on from Williams, the Knicks are seen as a potential landing spot, according to Bovada. New York ranked 6th among the betting odds to secure the Blazers center with +750.
The Knicks only trailed the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Houston Rockets, in that order.
Williams represents wild card for Knicks' plans
When considering if the Knicks truly need to add Williams, the answer is probably no. The addition of Guerschon Yabusele likely offers New York the depth they need to have an adequate rotation up front.
If they did want to shore it up entirely, that is when the push for Williams should be really considered. There is only one big problem there.
Williams' $13.2 million contract makes him a tough trade candidate to consider for the Knicks. The salary that would need to be sent out is tough to match up without surrendering an important part of the rotation in the process.
If the Knicks really considered Williams an upgrade over Mitchell Robinson, they could explore that. However, there is no real reason to align with that line of thinking.
On top of that, the Blazers and Knicks would need a third team to be involved. Adding Robinson does not do much for Portland in this case. New York would need to get creative.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
