The 2025-26 Portland Trail Blazers season unofficially begins Monday, when the team holds its annual media day at the Moda Center.
The rebuilding Blazers return most of the key young pieces from a roster that overachieved in the second half of last season, when the team went 23-18 to surprisingly finish with 36 wins.
But there are some new faces. A franchise icon is back. One of the best perimeter defenders in the league is joining the rotation. And a young Chinese phenom has arrived in the United States.
What will the Blazers look like in 2025-26? In an effort to bring you up to speed, we’re providing a daily snapshot of the roster as media day approaches. Next up: Robert Williams III.
Let the countdown to the 2025-26 season begin.
ROBERT WILLIAMS III
Measurables: 6-foot-9, 249 pounds
Age: 27
Position: Center/forward
2024-25 stats: 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.1 assists
NBA experience: This will be his eighth NBA season
Contract status: Williams is entering the final year of a deal that will pay him $13.3 million this season
Expected role: Backup big
Outlook: Injuries have sabotaged Williams’ two seasons in Portland, as he’s played just 26 games since the Blazers acquired him via a trade with the Boston Celtics in October 2023. He was supposed to provide defense and veteran leadership for a rebuilding roster. Instead, he’s spent the bulk of his time in rehabilitation because of multiple knee ailments and a balky hamstring. The Blazers are hopeful, however, that Williams can be a healthy and consistent contributor this season, adding much-needed defense and know-how to a position that features a second-year potential starter (Donovan Clingan) and a rookie fighting for a rotation spot (Yang Hansen). Williams’ defense is his calling card, of course; he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2022. His basketball intelligence and shot-blocking acumen would bolster the Blazers’ second unit, and his on- (and off-court) leadership could be immeasurably important to the development of Clingan and Hansen, who represent the future of the Blazers’ frontcourt. As the Blazers look to take the next step in their rebuild, Williams’ health could determine just how big of a leap they make. If he’s healthy, Williams will finally play a prominent role for the Blazers.
Previous entries: Rayan Rupert … Blake Wesley … Duop Reath … Damian Lillard … Jrue Holiday … Jerami Grant … Shaedon Sharpe … Scoot Henderson … Yang Hansen … Deni Avdija … Donovan Clingan.