Dating back to the team’s January 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets, former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams has played some of his best basketball of the season for the Chicago Bulls. Over that eight-game stretch, Williams has averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 boards with 49-50-84 shooting splits.
However, his viability as a cornerstone piece for the Bulls’ future remains a matter for debate, which doesn’t bode well if the team wants to pick a lane ahead of the NBA‘s February 9 trade deadline.
Whether Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley decide to go all-in behind the DeMar DeRozan-Zach LaVine core or make a quick pivot toward a new future, Williams could be a big part of the equation. On the other hand, he may just hold more value as a trade piece than as a player for Chicago.
In any case, Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley believes that the Bulls should at least test the waters on the baller’s trade market.
B/R: Bulls Must Be Calculated in Assessing Patrick Williams’ Trade Possibilities
In his Bulls “blueprint” for the forthcoming deadline, Buckley cited guaging the trade interest in Williams as one of three key steps for the club (the other two being shopping Coby White and, surprise surprise, committing to a timeline).
“Do the Bulls still view him as a potential building block? If the answer is anything other than an unequivocal yes, then Chicago should at least gauge his market,” wrote Buckley.
“Maybe the right rebuilder still sees cornerstone potential in him. If they do, then dealing him for a difference-maker could be the kind of shrewd move that helps the Bulls salvage this season.”
Indeed, Williams’ combination of youth and upside make him exactly the kind of piece teams covet when attempting to deal a disgruntled star and/or shift from competing to rebuilding. Throw him into the mix with some contracts and some picks and you have a legitimate star-grabbing package on your hands.
That said, the Bulls must proceed with caution if they elect to explore that road. After all, Williams could still be a piece you build around even if wholesale changes are made to the roster.
“If Chicago does talk Williams trades, though, it needs to do everything it can to keep those conversations under wraps. It’s certainly possible the right offer never materializes, and the Bulls will need him moving forward. They have to be careful about making the 21-year-old feel unwanted.”
Bulls Hold Their Ground in New Power Rankings
While things are trending in a positive direction at the moment — with an incredibly manageable schedule heading into the All-Star Break — the Bulls have yet to truly solidify themselves as a group to be taken seriously in the Eastern Conferernce. As such, the team remained at No. 21 in B/R’s latest power rankings.
Nevertheless, B/R’s Andy Bailey couldn’t help but take stock of all the good things that are happening in his write-up:
…The last month has been significantly better than Chicago’s 11-18 start. Since then, the Bulls are 10-6 and getting balanced contributions from their three best players.
Over this stretch, Zach LaVine is averaging 27.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 threes while shooting 41.4 percent from deep. DeMar DeRozan is adding 26.5 points and 5.4 assists. And perhaps most importantly, because he’s often been the biggest question mark, Nikola Vučević is pitching in with 19.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 threes while shooting 38.5 percent from deep.
Bulls Urged to Gauge Trade Interest for Former No. 4 Pick