The NBA did its best to steal the limelight from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first NBA Championship. The Phoenix Suns sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in a trade mere hours ahead of Game 7, before the Boston Celtics traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons.
However, the fun didn’t end there. The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans swapped Jordan Poole for CJ McCollum, followed by a three-team trade involving the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Celtics, once again. This three-team swap saw Georges Niang sent to Boston, Terrence Mann to Brooklyn, and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta.
Following a flurry of trades, Chicago Bulls’ Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas is reportedly eager to get in on the action. Chicago Sun Times’ Joe Cowley reported, “According to a source, the Bulls and Karnisovas have been more responsive to trade talks than they have been in the past.”
Karnišovas is finally demonstrating a forward-thinking approach
Furthermore, Cowley provided insight into Karnišovas’ ventures. The Bulls’ insider wrote, “And while Ball, Vucevic, and White are all possibilities to be moved, the name atop Karnisovas’ list to deal entering the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday is Patrick Williams.”
It’s quite the turn of events for Karnišovas. Over two months ago, after being dismantled by the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament, Karnišovas took to the podium to address Chicago’s future. When discussing Williams’ disappointing 2024-25 campaign, the VP of Basketball Operations stated Williams had a “tough year” and he’s excited to see how Williams will respond next season.
Karnišovas’ delusion was borderline appalling. Williams isn’t a rookie or a second-year player. The executive made that statement about a fifth-year professional who had just signed a five-year, $90 million extension less than a year ago. There’s no sugar-coating a player’s performance 276 games into his career.
Nevertheless, Karnišovas’ brash sentiment may have ultimately been a not-so-subtle fib. Prior to Cowley reporting Williams could be on the move, he wrote, “… there’s also the basic disinformation that Karnisovas likes to leak out there,” likely referencing statements Karnišovas had made, including the one previously mentioned.
Any logical executive would have Williams on the trade block. He averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds, shooting 39.7 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from downtown—all career-worst marks for the 23-year-old forward. To make matters worse, he’s owed $72 million over the next four seasons. Moreover, he is no longer guaranteed a starting role after receiving just about as many chances as an NBA player could ask for to display any kind of potential.
NBA pundits have already begun formulating mock trades, strategizing ways to rid Williams’ $72 million off the Bulls’ payroll. Karnišovas should take note. There are avenues to jettisoning Williams, even if it means parting with future draft capital—Atlanta sending Mann along with the 22nd overall pick to Brooklyn is a prime example.
Fortunately, for Bulls’ fans and most importantly, the sake of the franchise, Karnišovas is reportedly in aggressive mode. He’s inexplicably made 10 trades over the last five seasons, the fewest in the NBA over that timespan. Hearing he’s prioritizing trading Williams is a much-needed step in the right direction.
