Chicago's most recent top-five draft selection, Patrick Williams, has been under a microscope since he was taken fourth overall in 2020. The bar was set high before his first game, seeing that he was the franchise's first top-five selection since Derrick Rose, who was picked first overall in 2008 and became the league's MVP and was recently inducted into the Bulls Ring of Honor. It was also reported that Rose's jersey will be retired in 2025 for his impact on the city on and off the court. On the other hand, Williams has been nothing short of a complete disappointment and bust of a draft choice. Not only has he failed to improve in any statistical category since his rookie campaign by a significant margin, but his development has continued to stall in his fifth year to the point where he's been benched for stretches of games in response to his lack of contributions. Arturas Karnisovas, who selected Williams with his first draft selection as the leader in Chicago's front office, elected to extend his 23-year-old forward this offseason to a five-year deal worth $90 million guaranteed. With less than one month until the NBA's trade deadline, has Karnisovas finally admitted his horrendous blunder on draft night in 2020?
Patrick Williams On The Trade Block
It's been known for months that the Bulls are actively trying to acquire assets in exchange for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. A few weeks ago, there were murmurs that Lonzo Ball was being dangled in trade talks, and now another new name joins the conversation. Per the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls are done waiting for Williams's stunted growth to produce results between the lines.
AK is reportedly now open to trading Patrick Williams.
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) January 21, 2025
What should the Bulls do about him? pic.twitter.com/SwvPM4EZLH
The former Florida State forward has the least predictable market value of the names on Chicago's trade list. Potential packages have emerged for LaVine, Vucevic, and Ball, but with Williams's failure to show significant improvement at the NBA level while still being young enough to be a first or second year player, his value is unknown. The $18 million per year owed to him over the next five certainly decrease the appeal, especially without knowing exactly what the investment would return. His career averages of 9.7 points, 4.1 boards, and 1.4 assists while being an above-average defender don't convincingly warrant that large of a salary to potential suitors.
Matas Buzelis Is Already Better
The most glaring red flag for Patrick Williams is the play of fellow youngster Matas Buzelis. When leveling their statistics using the per 36 metric, Buzelis surpasses the fifth-year forward in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. Visually, the 20-year-old is more explosive, active, and engaged on both ends of the floor. His contributions throughout his rookie year have arguably been more significant than those of Williams, leading to the decision to move on.
Matas Buzelis as a ROOKIE is better than Patrick Williams in his 5th season.
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) January 20, 2025
Per 36 Minutes Stats:
Matas Buzelis: 13.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.3 BPG
Patrick Williams: 12.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 SPG
Make Matas Buzelis the starter. Do the right thing. Develop him!
Cut your losses on PWill pic.twitter.com/cSFNNDL4gK
If the Bulls can find a new home for Patrick Williams, what would be the cheapest you'd sell him for? Hopefully his play ramps up in the coming weeks in light of the news, and Chicago can entice another club to take a chance in a deal.
