At the beginning of the season, Patrick Williams was out of the Chicago Bulls’ rotation. He wasn’t playing. Tiago Splitter was keeping him off the court. But lately, he’s been getting playing time, and he’s making the most of it. Williams has looked good, and now, there’s a chance a team could be willing to take on his contract at the trade deadline. But that’s where the Bulls’ new conundrum comes in.
It’s highly unlikely that Williams plays well enough to make his contract a positive value. No team is going to give up assets to bring him on board. And if he did play that well, would the Bulls even want to trade him? The question is, can Williams play well enough to the point where Chicago would only have to attach a second or two to get off his contract? And at what point do the Bulls make that deal?
If Williams keeps up his current level of play, those are the questions the Bulls are going to have to ask themselves once the deadline rolls around.
When do the Bulls try to trade Patrick Williams?
Williams’ latest two performances are the best ones by far. He’s been playing very well, especially for a guy who wasn’t even in the rotation to start the season.
In the Bulls’ win over the Atlanta Hawks, Williams put up 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He shot 4-of-7 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Then, the very next night, the Bulls took down the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams finished with 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and a block. He shot 5-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-4 from distance.
Williams has only played in five games this season. The Bulls’ last five games. But he’s shooting the ball relatively well and racking up steals and blocks on the defensive end.
Unfortunately, Williams’ contract is still massive. He makes $18 million this year, $18 million next year, and then has a $18 million player option for the 2028-29 campaign. It would take a lot for a team to take a chance on a guy like that.
But if Williams keeps playing well, perhaps the right team in the right situation would take on his contract for a couple of second-rounders. That’s better than the Bulls could have envisioned heading into the year.
The question is, when do the Bulls concede and make a deal like that? If he’s playing well, why not keep him on board? When do they decide to cut their losses if he does keep up this level of play?
Add us as a preferred source on Google