NBA Rumors: 5 Dream trade ideas to help Lakers find new starting center

Lakers take a flier on an often-injured center

Why Robert Williams III makes sense as a target: It's been a while since the last time Robert Williams III was a force in the league. Most of that is because he's struggled to remain healthy over the last couple of seasons. However, as he's continued to work his way back from injuries, Williams has begun to flash a little bit more of his former self. Let's remember, when he was on his rise as a member of the Boston Celtics during the 2021-22 season, there was a campaign for Williams to be named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.

With his athleticism and versatility, he was a defender that could completely change a game at any given moment. For the Los Angeles Lakers, that's the type of player they would be looking for to play opposite Anthony Davis. Of course, the injuries are still a concern. He's only played in three games this season and only suited up for six last year. There's still a lot of proving that Williams has to do between now and the NBA Trade Deadline but if he does show he can remain healthy, he could emerge as an intriguing target for the Lakers.

What a trade would look like: I can't imagine a trade for Robert Williams III would be that complicated considering he's somewhat of a negative asset at this point in his career (because of the injuries). He also just has one year remaining on his current contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. If the Lakers truly wanted to roll the dice and take a shot on trading for Williams, I'd imagine this is a deal that could theoretically come together fairly quickly. Of course, that's a big if and assumption.

A deal centered around two second-round picks or one first-round pick (which I highly doubt the Lakers would be willing to give up) should get it done. Los Angeles would then need to throw in a couple of salaries to make the money work. In this case, the contract of Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxwell Lewis could get the deal approved. Again, this deal is not fairly complicated and would ultimately come down to how much of a risk the Lakers would want to take with this swap.