Getty Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams handles the ball during a game against the New York Knicks.
After storming their way to the top of the Eastern Conference on the backs of All-Stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan early last season, the Chicago Bulls eventually found themselves in the middle of the playoff pack and getting dropped in Round 1 of postseason play.
Due to untimely injuries, COVID-19 — plain ‘ol bad luck, really — the Bulls were simply in no position to make a legitimate run at the title.
Nevertheless, Chicago’s success when its aces were in their proper places has given the Windy City faithful reason to hope in 2022-23. If everything comes together once again — and Lonzo Ball’s knee holds up — the Bulls have the look of a team with the potential to do some major damage in the East.
On the other hand, the competition in their section of the conference table looks to have gotten stiffer this summer. As such, one Bleacher Report scribe envisions a scenario where the team considers moving its top prospect to keep up with the Joneses.
Would the Bulls Actually Trade Williams?
B/R’s Greg Swartz just published his list of “The Cutthroat Trade Every NBA Fanbase Hates to Think About.” With the Bulls, Swartz landed on the team making a “panic trade” involving former No. 4 pick Patrick Williams, who he referred to as Chicago’s “most intriguing player to watch.”
“Even though he’s heading into his third year, he’s still just 20 years old and is the perfect player to place around LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic with his three-point shooting (41.3 percent lifetime) and defensive versatility,” wrote Swartz
“Williams is also the best trade chip the Bulls possess, one they may be forced to cash in if they start slipping down the East standings.”
The Florida State product’s name was oft mentioned in trade rumors ahead of last year’s deadline for deal-making. In the end, though, Bulls decision-maker Arturas Karnisovas decided his potential was too great to make any rash decisions about his future.
If the Bulls fail to make headway after re-upping with LaVine and adding veterans Goran Dragic and Andre Drummond for a title push, however, a Williams move could enter Karnisovas’ thought process for real.
Williams’ Monster Potential
Williams became something of a forgotten man last season after tearing ligaments in his wrist during what was only the fifth game of the Bulls’ campaign. It didn’t take him long to remind the hoops world that he has a ceiling as high as that of anyone in the Association, though.
After returning in late March, the 6-foot-7 forward took a handful of games to get himself up to speed and then promptly averaged 15.8 points and 6.2 boards in 31.9 minutes per game with shooting splits of 57-67-79 over the final six games of the season.
He continued to show out into the playoffs, where he logged consecutive 20-plus point games to wrap up Chicago’s first-round series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
Asking the Bulls to try and serve two timelines in Warriors-like fashion with Willams, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, et al. alongside their big guns may be asking too much. At the same time, though, it would be a shocker for the team to move its best young prospect for anything less than than a clear-cut spot in the driver’s seat of their conference.
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