Lakers on the brink of a blockbuster: Robert Williams III’s arrival could forge an imposing new-look roster

Los Angeles has spent most of July circling Portland’s Robert Williams III, gambling that the elite rim-protector nicknamed “Time Lord” is the missing piece between “dangerous” and “title-threat.” Oddsmakers now put the Lakers at +185 — the shortest odds in the league — to land the 27-year-old center, ahead of Golden State and Milwaukee[1][2]. Internal talks reportedly center on a package built around Gabe Vincent, Jordan Goodwin and draft capital, a price the front office views as “low-risk, high-reward” given Williams’ $13.3 million expiring deal[3][4].

Why Williams changes the math

1. Instant rim deterrence 

  Healthy Williams ranks among the NBA’s top percentile in block rate and defensive field-goal percentage at the rim; opponents shot just 52% in the restricted area when he was the primary defender during his last full season in Boston[5]. 

2. Vertical spacing for LeBron pick-and-rolls 

  He averaged 1.45 points per possession as a roll man in 2022-23 — elite efficiency that forces weak-side help and creates kick-out threes for Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić, whom L.A. acquired in last month’s seven-team shuffle[6].

3. Insurance against aging legs 

  The Lakers have chased a defensive anchor since Anthony Davis’ relocation to Phoenix. Williams allows Davis’ successor, Deandre Ayton, to slide to power forward in jumbo lineups or rest entirely without the rim collapsing.

Durability remains the lone red flag: Williams has surpassed 52 games only once in seven seasons and missed 40-plus contests five times[7]. Yet L.A.’s medical staff believes his recent knee procedures have finally alleviated the chronic swelling that plagued him in Boston and Portland, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly.

Projected rotation if the deal closes

| Position | First unit | Bench unit |

|—|—|—|

| PG | Luka Dončić | Marcus Smart |

| SG | Austin Reaves | Gabe Vincent |

| SF | LeBron James | Dalton Knecht |

| PF | Rui Hachimura | Jarred Vanderbilt |

| C | Deandre Ayton | Robert Williams III |

Vincent would head to Portland in the reported framework; Jordan Goodwin would slot in as third guard.

The ripple effects

– Defensive identity: A Williams–Smart pairing recreates elements of Boston’s 2022 Finals defense — switch-heavy, hyper-communicative, and menacing at the rim. 

– Pace and space: Time Lord’s rim runs drag the opposing five into deep drop coverage, freeing perimeter shooters who ranked just 18th in catch-and-shoot efficiency last season. 

– Cap flexibility: An expiring $13.3 million provides Rob Pelinka optionality next summer when LeBron’s $48.7 million could also come off the books.

Landing Robert Williams III is not the blockbuster that dominates ticket sales, but it is the type of surgically precise move championship teams make to shore up a single, glaring weakness. If his knees cooperate, the Lakers could roll out a lineup that marries Dončić’s orchestrating, LeBron’s IQ, Ayton’s touch and Williams’ shot-blocking — a quartet capable of bullying small-ball units and surviving the West’s gauntlet of superstar guards. In a conference where margins are paper-thin, that may be the super-transfer L.A. needs to hang banner 18.