Thunder trade for Robert Williams III would be incredibly foolish for 2 key reasons

The injuries continue to pile up for this OKC Thunder frontcourt as they received another crushing health-related update following Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.

After a hard fall to the floor in the first quarter on a driving Andrew Wiggins layup, budding big man Chet Holmgren was helped to the locker room and shortly thereafter was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

Hours after the final buzzer sounded on the game, it was revealed that the sophomore suffered a fractured right iliac crest in his right hip and will be out for the next eight to 10 weeks.

Not only is this devastating due to the fact that Holmgren is one of OKC’s foundational centerpieces, but it marks another blow to the ballclub’s already depleted center depth, as all three of their trusts for opportunities in him, Isaiah Hartenstein, are now . and Jaylin Williams will be found on the sidelines wearing street clothes for the foreseeable future.

Naturally, this unfavorable situation the Thunder find themselves in has encouraged fans, pundits and keyboard warriors alike to play the role of make believe GM, with the mission of finding potential targets for Sam Presti and company to pursue to bolster their big man’s depth.

With these drills, many different names have been mentioned as potential options, with players ranging from veterans still residing on the free agent market to proven contributors currently on opposing teams.

Not all suggestions are rooted in reality, however, and one popular name floating around that has no trade considered a realistic possibility is Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III.

Throughout his seven-year professional career, Robert Williams III has established himself as a truly impressive center talent, one who can battle the boards, protect the paint and run out on fast breaks at an elite level.

On top of this, his per 100 averages are absolutely sensational as he posts career stats of 17.6 points, 16.5 rebounds (6.1 offensive) and 4.0 blocks while shooting 72.9 percent from the floor.

Unfortunately, while these talking points are certainly indisputable, another, perhaps more notable, adjective to describe Williams is injury-prone.

Since entering the league back in 2018, the big man has played in over 35 games in a season just twice, only recently returning to the hardwood after a 2023-24 campaign in which he saw just six games the game.

When he’s active, the man known as the Timelord is a tremendous two-way contributor who, frankly, provides many attributes that this Thunder team could use more of (rim protection, rebounding, menacing paint presence, etc.).

But the idea of ​​adding another big man to Oklahoma City’s arsenal is to bring injury insurance in response to Holmgren’s recent affliction, as well as for the several other bigs on their depth chart who are currently suffering health issues themselves.

So why would this front office go and hire a player with a career injury list longer than a CVS receipt?

Sam Presti has already publicly written and indicated an unwillingness to pursue any trades this season due to his belief that they “always carry a lot of risk.”

Trading for Williams would go completely against that feeling.

On top of this, it’s not like the Thunder won’t soon get frontcourt reinforcements already on the payroll.

It was announced Monday that forward Kenrich Williams has been cleared to return to action after a two-month absence that sidelined him for the entire preseason and the first 10 games of the regular season.

Soon enough, both Isaiah Hartenstein (who is already running through exercisesmind you) and Jaylin Williams will also return to the rotation and thus keep the fort down during Holmgren’s absence.

Sure, in the short term Robert Williams could be a solid part of this pivot pool, but once all the current Thunder bigs are medically cleared, his arrival would make things more crowded, and it’s not like he’s an interchangeable talent , which could expand further. this coaching staff’s desire to run positionless formations that add flexibility – the 27-year-old is a center and that’s it!

Now, this is not to say that adding a traditional five should be avoided by Presti and co. But coughing up assets for a limited talent, even one as promising as Williams is when healthy, might not be the best course of action.