NEWSLETTER
Patrick Williams’ Basketball-Reference page isn’t what the Chicago Bulls would like.
The 22-year-old forward has averaged nearly identical numbers each season of his career. Even more frustrating, two of those seasons were cut short by differing surgeries. While Coby White served as a good reminder that some players take longer than others to put it together, this has undoubtedly been a troubling trajectory for the former No. 4 overall pick.
The big question now is how might his resume influence his looming restricted free agency? The Chicago Bulls failed to reach a contract extension with Williams last offseason, meaning he’ll be up for grabs this summer. The good news is that – as long as they extend him his qualifying offer – they will have the right to match any contract that comes his way. The bad news is that teams will have an opportunity to force the Bulls to pay some big bucks.
For what it’s worth, Arturas Karnisovas was asked about Williams’ situation, and the front office face insisted that both sides want to get a deal done:
“The disappointing thing is that we lost Patrick for the season,” Karnisovas said during his end-of-season press conference. “The last three months, I wish we could’ve seen this team with Patrick on it. We lack obvious size without him. Both sides want him to be here, so we’ll approach free agency, as always.”
There is no denying that Williams’ season-ending foot surgery – unfortunately for him – should work in the Bulls’ favor. He didn’t have a chance to put together the kind of strong second half that may have been key in negotiations. Instead, as previously stated, he has another season averaging roughly 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in an inconsistent starting role.
Williams’ camp is going to pitch potential, emphasizing that the Bulls drafted him top 4 for a reason. The Bulls are surely going to point toward results, suggesting that they can’t base a contract primarily on “what ifs.” Regardless, I think it’s in the Bulls’ best interest to just get the deal done.
The last thing the Bulls should do is let a young prospect walk. Has Williams lived up to his draft position? No, but that doesn’t mean he can’t become a serviceable starter or rotation player. He is genuinely an above-average defender who can guard multiple positions and help protect the rim. Likewise, he’s shot a shocking 41.0 percent from downtown in his career. A world is still very much in the realm of possibility where Williams becomes an impact player, and the Bulls aren’t in a position to give up on that possibility.
As for Williams, the situation doesn’t feel as cut and dry. He should prefer to go where the money takes him, and there are a handful of teams out there who could throw a big offer sheet his way. The Oklahoma City Thunder are projected to have roughly $35.5 million in cap space, while the Detroit Pistons could have an estimated $60.1 million. Teams like the Jazz, Spurs, and Magic should also have cash to play with. Heck, even The Athletic’s Eric Koreen named Williams as No. 1 on his Big Board for the Toronto Raptors in free agency.
And why wouldn’t a team with money to spend take a chance on a 3-and-D wing who is still in his early 20s? As far as the free agent market goes, Williams could very well be one of the more intriguing options available.
The other path for Williams is to bet on himself. The qualifying offer that Chicago is likely to submit by June 29th is set at $12,973,527. While I expect offers to come in at an annual rate that exceeds this number, what if they don’t? Even if Williams is hovering more around the $11.0 million per season Coby White earned last summer, he may want to take the larger paycheck and enter unrestricted free agency in 2024-25. Williams would then have complete control of his own destiny and potentially force the Bulls’ hand to pay up with a strong season.
Regardless, after being on pause for several months, the Patrick Williams talk is going to pick up over the next handful of weeks. Both sides have some very important decisions to make, so we’ll keep you posted.
