On November 20, the Chicago Bulls were defeated 118-100 by the Miami Heat, putting the team to 5-10 on the season.
That won’t put an end to the trade rumors that are still circulating about the squad.
The focus has largely been on two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine and 2023 All-Defensive First Teamer Alex Caruso. However, they are not the only Bulls attracting trade interest.
On November 20, Marc Stein of The Stein Line noted, “Patrick Williams… still intrigues various teams despite his extremely underwhelming start to the season.” “The former No. 4 overall pick and the Bulls did not come to terms on a contract extension before the Oct. 23 deadline for Class of 2020 first-round picks.”
Look at Patrick Williams on this possession #BullsNation #Bulls pic.twitter.com/YCL4cVivKz
— I Sleep Very Well (@VideoGame2345) November 21, 2023
According to Stein, Williams is the third most sought-after Bull on the trade market, not DeMar DeRozan or Nikola Vucevic.
This season, Williams is averaging 5.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
Patrick Williams Disappointing Start Fueling Trade Rumors
Williams’ points and rebounds are both career lows, and his three-point efficiency is also a lifetime low at 25.6%. Williams’ desire for a change of scenery is not novel after being demoted from the starting lineup and sent to the bench for the second year in a row.
“A lot was riding on Williams’ fourth-season performance.” “The Bulls entered this season still viewing him as a potential star, hoping that his development would be the missing piece in their plan,” The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry wrote on November 13. “His contract year is off to a wretched start, and the only thing that might save Williams is a fresh start.”
Williams scored nine points on 57.1% shooting in Miami’s defeat. That was his season’s second-best mark from the floor. He also had two blocks and three rebounds.
After this season, he will be a restricted free agent.
Pat Williams steal & score 🐾@NBCSChicago | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/xYs8lS5nii
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 14, 2023
“To be honest, I’ve never been good at basketball business.” “It hasn’t been a priority of mine up to this point,” Williams stated via Mayberry on October 23. “My main focus for now is really just try to get this team over the next hump, get myself over that hump.”
The Bulls have complete control over what happens with Williams this offseason. They will have first dibs on any offer sheet he signs next summer. That is assuming they extend him the qualifying offer. However, Mayberry observes that this circumstance bears the hallmarks of another that did not end well for the Bulls.
A Damning Comparison
“Time is proving he’s much closer to a role player than a featured player,” Mayberry stated in an email. “It feels like Lauri Markkanen’s final season with the Bulls.” And we see how a change of scenery helped him.
Markkanen was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him. On draft night, they sent him to the Bulls in a package with LaVine in exchange for Jimmy Butler.
Markkanen played for the Bulls for four seasons. By the end, he was coming off the bench and, according to him, playing without joy for the game. In a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Bulls sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He stayed for one season before being dealt to the Utah Jazz as part of a deal for Donovan Mitchell.
Last season, the 7-foot, sharpshooting Markkanen was named Most Improved Player.
Perhaps Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations who dealt Markkanen, is still haunted by that truth.
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