Amid another losing season, the Chicago Bulls have been heavily involved in trade rumors, with veteran stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic reportedly available. However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, the franchise is also open to moving one of its young prospects, Patrick Williams.
The 2020 NBA draft’s No. 4 pick, Williams has failed to live up to expectations over his first five seasons. While he has shown flashes of upside as a versatile, athletic two-way forward, he has been plagued by inconsistency and questions surrounding his effort.
Despite Williams garnering a five-year, $90 million contract in restricted free agency over the offseason, his production has been on the downswing.
Entering Sunday’s road matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, he has scored in single figures in seven of nine outings this month. During that stretch, he is averaging just 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 31.8% and 28.6% from 3-point range.
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According to Cowley’s Saturday report, Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is having second thoughts about re-signing Williams long-term. So, he could look to deal him ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.
“Karnisovas has finally bought into the idea that the 23-year-old needs a change of scenery, opening the door for Williams to also be on the trade block,” Cowley wrote.
Cowley added that Chicago has unsuccessfully attempted to “unlock” Williams’ potential “for years,” but he “hasn’t been easy to work with.” However, he noted that the issue stems from Williams’ difficulty “buying into what’s being communicated,” rather than a behavioral problem.
Given Williams’ recent underwhelming play, it’s unclear if the Bulls (18-24) will be able to recoup respectable value for his long-term deal. Regardless, the team projects to be one of the biggest sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan unconcerned about Patrick Williams’ drop-off amid escalating trade rumors
While some have expressed concern about Patrick Williams’ production decline since the New Year, Bulls coach Billy Donovan remains optimistic.
Following Friday’s 125-123 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Donovan touched on Williams’ shortcomings, noting that he is still motivated to improve.
“I don’t want to use the word concerned, but I think Patrick’s heart is in a really good place as it relates to our team, and I think he really wants to do well,” Donovan said.
Donovan added that the fifth-year player needs to work on his offensive decision-making and rebounding to reach the next level.
“The next part of it, at least offensively, is going to end up being, ‘What are the ones I need to go in and finish, what are the ones I need to spray out? And when I do spray it out, taking care of the ball?'” Donovan said.
“The other part of it, too, for our team, we need more rebounding from him. I think he’s made the effort to try and go there, but we probably need to get a little more out of him. But I’m not concerned about him.”
Heading into Sunday, Chicago has 10 games remaining before the trade deadline, giving Williams few chances to prove himself before experiencing a potential scenery change.
