Patrick Williams inked a five-year, $90 million contract to remain with the Bulls this offseason. This was after the organization and Williams mutually decided to let the 2023-24 season unfold before signing any new deals. Due to injury, he only played in 43 games, and both sides were stuck in the same position in negotiations. His entire career has embodied Chicago’s last five years, mediocre at best. While he’s proven to be an above-average defender in the NBA, there’s little to no other arguments to continue seeing his potential through. He’s yet to increase his points per game since his rookie campaign. His field goal percentage has steadily declined since 2021 and is again lower this year, and his rebounding numbers have similarly decreased. Williams’s three-point numbers have remained stagnant, while average at best, and overall, he has not lived up to his draft position at fourth overall. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer says he may be on a team’s radar looking for a wing player matching his archetype. Who could be calling, and would the Bulls entertain moving their 3-and-D forward?
De’Anthony Melton has officially been ruled out for the remainder of this season with an ACL injury. Stephen Curry and company have come out of the gates ablaze, 12-3, and sitting atop the Western Conference standings. With the goal of contention in mind, they’ll need to replace Melton’s production elsewhere, insert Patrick Williams. Fischer did specify that Williams has not been named as a replacement candidate by the team but fits the description of what they’ll be looking for. He shoots the three-point ball at a similar rate and efficiency; defensively, he’s better than most and can guard multiple positions, and from a salary standpoint, the two have comparable compensation.
If Golden State does pick up the phone, Fischer says, “I’ve absolutely heard that Chicago is going to be open-minded to moving a player such as Patrick Williams.” If true, this is a massive opportunity to move on from a failed experiment. Five years in, he’s had more injuries and less improvement than nearly any other player from his draft class. Chicago is also locked into his contract for the next four seasons after this one, so it would free them up financially to explore new options.
The glaring issue with moving on from the fifth-year forward is that he was Arturas Karnisovas’s first draft pick with the franchise, and shipping him for cheap would be an admittance of fault, something that this front office has yet to display. Many would argue that resigning the former Florida State Seminole was a prime example of the inability to admit a mistake.
Should Chicago finally give up on their former top-five pick or continue to ride out his slow development? If the Warriors inquire about a trade, would you prefer the Bulls send him out west or retain faith in the two-way wing?
