The Lakers may win Robert Williams III in 3 different trading options

According to US sports media F/W reporter Eddie Bitar, after a buyout Ayton, the Lakers seem to be redouble their efforts to strengthen basket defense and frontcourt depth. Ayton's arrival resolved their starting center gap around Doncic and James, but with concerns about stability and durability still looming, Los Angeles has reportedly turned its sights on a tried-and-tested inside player: Robert Williams III. Sources say the Lakers are now one of the main favorites to win Williams, potentially surpassing competitors such as the Warriors, Bucks and Celtics. Los Angeles has already started trade talks with the Trail Blazers over the former best defensive center, with insiders reporting that Williams is still firmly on their top trading target list for the position. While Williams brought elite blocking instincts, alley threat abilities and pick-and-roll skills, his injury history cast a shadow on his usability; he averaged less than 40 games in five of his seven NBA seasons. This makes any potential deal a high-reward, high-risk swing, but considering the Lakers’ championship desire and Ayton’s role as a pillar of the lineup, the Lakers may think it’s worth trying. Against this backdrop, we explore three different deal options through which Los Angeles can realistically obtain Williams III as Ayton’s substitute, as well as solutions to integrate opportunities, ambitions and strategic lineup flexibility.

The most likely acceptance of the trade quotes involving draft picks:

Lakers get: Robert Williams III

Trail Blazers get: Kneckett, Vincent, 2032 second round picks

The Trail Blazers are believed to require "multiple second-round picks" when trading Williams. Using Knecht as a promising rookie and Vincent as an experienced defender adds tangible value while drafting capital. For Los Angeles, the deal achieved several goals. Robert Williams brings elite basket protection. Filling the Lakers’ role as a substitute center behind Ayton, his defensive concedes and rebounds provide them with a certified anchor. From a Portland perspective, Vincent offers experience; over six seasons, he averaged about 7.2 points, 2.0 assists and nearly 0.7 steals.

Knecht is a 2024 first-round rookie, averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 461/.376 from the field, becoming a shooting creator and three-point threat in a limited time. Combined with the flexibility of future drafts, this program can meet Portland's asking price while mitigating the risk of injury associated with Williams.

Simple two-for-one exchange

The Lakers received: Robert Williams III

Trail Blazers received: Kneckett, Kleber

From the perspective of Lakers' salary and lineup, it became cleaner. As an experienced big man and long-range shooter, Claiber helped to match the trade and immediately added front-field depth to Portland. For Los Angeles, it would be painful to give up Cleberby’s breakup with Vincent, as Cleber has been a more consuming rotation cover, especially with Ayton and Hayes on the roster. Knecht remains a promising young talent: as a rookie, he averaged about 9.1 points per game, shot 37.6%, and averaged 19.2 rebounds in 2.8 minutes.

If he continues to develop, LA would be happy to pack him because they know they are now upgrading the frontcourt with Williams. For Portland, gaining the advantage of Cleber (a big man) and Knecht gave them depth and youth. Given Williams' injury history, they may not be willing to keep him for a long time; they may prefer a lineup upgrade that contributes immediately rather than waiting for Knecht's cap or relying solely on draft capital. The deals the Lakers might want to avoid are received by Robert Williams III Trail Blazers: Knecht, Vanderbilt, the joining of the energetic defender and versatile forward weakens the Lakers' frontcourt balance, and losing two youngsters is not ideal. This will also cause congestion in the frontcourt while assigning Williams’ substitute role to those with overlapping skills. Vanderbilt played only about 15-16 minutes per game with limited offense space, while Knecht offered shooting and development potential, but abandoning the two players would reduce LA’s flexibility and continuity.

If this means losing Knecht, the Lakers may want to acquire Williams, but putting Vanderbilt before veterans like Vincent or Cleber, the deal is even more unlikely for them. This means Rob Pelinka will want to use one of the first two deals instead of this one, although Portland may value the deal the most.