Trail Blazers big man to undergo knee surgery

Robert Williams continues to be plagued by knee issues during his young career.

The Trail Blazers big man will undergo right knee surgery, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. Medical professionals and his agent are discussing what type of procedure is necessary and the timeline for his recovery.

Williams was injured during Portland’s game against Memphis on Sunday. He missed the start of last season with the Celtics after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee.

Williams has been backing up another newcomer to the Blazers via trade, Deandre Ayton. He was part of the Celtics’ package that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston. Portland also received Malcolm Brogdon and draft assets in that blockbuster.

Williams was averaging 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his first six games with Portland.

Williams appeared in just 35 regular-season with Boston last season, including 20 starts. He hasn’t appeared in more than 61 games since being drafted in the first round in 2018. Noted for his all-around defense, he holds career averages of 7.3 points, 6.9 points and 1.7 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game through 215 regular-season contests.

During his career, he’s also missed games due to hip, back, ankle, foot and toe injuries. Moses Brown and Jabari Walker are the logical candidates to absorb Williams’ minutes while he recovers.

Williams has a four-year, $48M contract that runs through the 2025-26 season. It includes some incentives, such as making the All-Defense team and appearing in 69 or more regular season games.