Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III needs to undergo surgery on his right knee that will keep him out for the remainder of the season.
He injured his knee in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski added that Williams sustained damage to his kneecap and ligaments.
He is expected to be fully recovered by the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Trail Blazers acquired Williams from the Celtics in a deal that sent veteran point guard Jrue Holiday to Boston.
It’s a devastating blow to a promising young player who has already been significantly impacted by health problems since entering the NBA as the 27th overall pick in 2018. The 26-year-old had been limited to 209 of 390 possible regular season games in his first five years in the NBA as a Celtic. He’ll appear in just six of 82 in his first year in Portland.
Through six games this season, Williams averaged 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 65.4 percent from the floor.
The Trail Blazers are 3-5 and in 13th place in the Western Conference.
