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Trail Blazers Make $44 Million Move After Ja Morant Trade
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- Trail Blazers Make $44 Million Move After Ja Morant Trade
The Portland Trail Blazers have made plenty of headlines recently.
First, they hired Micah Nori as the new head coach, although they gave him a one-year deal with options for the second and third seasons.
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Then, out of nowhere, they acquired Ja Morant in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies , sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis.
Although Jaylen Brown was rumored as a trade target, ESPN's Shams Charania poured cold water on that rumor .
On Tuesday, right before the free agency period opened, the Blazers made another move, agreeing to bring back big man Robert Williams III on a three-year deal worth $44 million, according to Charania.
Reports came out on Monday that Williams was seeing a deal somewhere in the $15 million per year range, and he falls in just a tad under that with the new contract from Portland.
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Williams was selected at No. 27 overall by the Boston Celtics in 2018 and he spent five seasons there.
In October 2023, the Blazers sent Jrue Holiday to Boston in exchange for Williams, Malcolm Brogdon , a 2024 first-round pick and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick.
Williams played 59 games this season for Portland, the most since coming to Oregon, and he averaged 6.7 points with 7.0 rebounds.
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) and center Robert Williams III (35) before the National Anthem begins in a game against the LA Clippers at Moda Center. Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
The Blazers have a lot of guards and maybe a move is coming there, but finding a way to keep Williams was an important task.
Donovan Clingan is set as the starting center, but Williams is a quality backup who logged a lot of minutes this past season.
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If Williams had left, it would've left a big hole to fill for the Blazers, and the two sides were able to work things out before the free agency window officially began on Tuesday afternoon.
Now comes the next question: Will these moves work out? Micah Nori only has one season to figure things out given he has an option for year two, so there is a lot of pressure in Portland right now.
Related: Blazers Took a Smart Risk With Ja Morant Trade
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
