The Chicago Bulls sound like they’re having buyer’s remorse.
Only months after signing Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90.0 million contract in restricted free agency, Arturas Karnisovas is reportedly willing to move him, per the Chicago Sun-Times Joe Cowley. Williams is in the thick of his worst season yet, averaging a mere 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on 37.7. percent shooting from the field.
“A source Saturday told the Sun-Times that Karnisovas finally has bought in to the idea that 23-year-old forward Patrick Williams needs a change of scenery, opening the door for him to be on the trade block, too,” Cowley wrote.
I encourage you to read the Sun-Times full article here.
Patrick Williams’ struggles have only fallen under a hotter and hotter spotlight as the season has gone on. Supposedly one of the team’s primary building blocks, he has consistently failed to make his presence felt on either side of the ball. The departure of DeMar DeRozan this offseason opened up more room to work offensively, while the Alex Caruso trade paved the way for a new player to take over as the team’s defensive anchor. Alas, Williams has yet to take advantage of either opportunity.
The former No. 4 overall pick has especially struggled since the calendar flipped to 2025. He has failed to record double-digit points in seven of his last nine games, and he has been a complete non-factor on the glass, averaging less than 3.0 rebounds a night. Things really came to a head in the Bulls’ tight loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. Head coach Billy Donovan ended up benching Williams down the stretch and held him to less than 17 minutes of action.
Patrick Williams on the Trade Block
To be sure, especially when we consider his underwhelming play, this isn’t some kind of bombshell report. Not only have we heard that pretty much anything is on the table for this organization, but Patrick Williams’ name was specifically mentioned as someone they could be willing to move in November.
Regardless, the fact this is being reiterated this close to the deadline underscores how frustrating things have truly become. But the Bulls only have themselves to blame for that!
While many agreed that re-signing a young former lottery pick made sense for a directionless franchise, many were also shocked when the details came out. Instead of allowing the market to dictate Williams’ price before potentially matching the best offer, the Bulls handed him a fully guaranteed $90.0 million. Whether it be the five years or the total salary, both numbers felt significantly greater than any team would have offered. It felt like a classic “bidding against themselves” scenario.
Indeed, this is yet another example of the front office drastically mismanaging a contract situation. And it will significantly damage any leverage they hope to create in the trade market. We watched them go down a similar road with Zach LaVine, who they gave a max contract only to put his name in trade rumors months later. Look how smoothly that’s gone!
The Bulls have also done themselves no favors by allowing the following to leak in the Sun-Times’ trade report:
“As is the case with most NBA teams, individual coaches are matched up with individual players, and there has been frustration on both sides with previous matchups. The source stressed that Williams hasn’t been volatile or difficult in terms of his behavior. It’s more about him not being completely comfortable to buy in to what’s being communicated,” Cowley wrote.
So not only are the Bulls letting people know they regret handing Williams that contract, but they are also sharing that he hasn’t been the easiest to work with. What a great way to boost his value!
Look, as ready as the Bulls may be to move on from the Patrick Williams experiment, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. The way he’s playing mixed with his long-term money will make finding a deal VERY complicated. With that in mind, their best hope is probably that Williams sees a post-deadline boost and builds some momentum heading into the offseason. They can revisit trade conversations then or head into 2025-26 with a cleaner slate.