The negative Patrick Williams discourse has seemingly been going on for years. Since being selected as an 18-year-old with the fourth-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Williams’ career has been filled with promise, but also with the growing realization that he may never live up to his draft status.
An athletic 6-foot-7 forward, Williams possesses one of the most coveted archetypes in NBA history. Yet he’s never been able to fully put it all together—a reality this season makes painfully clear. Despite his natural athletic gifts, Williams is shooting just 36.3 percent from the field. On the defensive end, he hasn’t made a positive impact either. The Bulls are 4.6 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor.
The Bulls are stuck with Patrick Williams
Worst of all, Williams’ career-worst season comes just over a year after he signed a five-year, $90 million contract. The 24-year-old still has three and a half seasons remaining on that much-maligned deal, making a fresh start all but impossible. It’s unlikely the Bulls will be able to trade Williams anytime soon, at least not until the 2028–29 season.
It’s a demoralizing realization, one NBA pundit, Jake Fischer, highlighted in his latest episode of NBA Insider Notebook. When asked, “Have the Lakers looked into trading for Pat Williams or Ayo [Dosunmu]?” Fischer replied, “I know the Lakers are looking all across the wing market. I would be absolutely shocked if they wanted to go at Pat Williams and take on his four years left at [$18 million] average annual value. I think they’re probably looking at much more flexibility.”
Fischer’s response is hardly surprising. Despite Los Angeles’ constant need for 3-and-D wings to support the stellar, but defensively limited, guard duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers can’t afford to take on extra salaries. Doncic is set to earn nearly $50 million next season, while both Reaves and LeBron James (if he returns) will be due for new contracts—not to mention starting wing Rui Hachimura.
Returning to Williams, Fischer elaborated on the Florida State product’s trade market, saying,
“Pat Williams does not have positive value around the league. I don’t think [any team] is actively seeking him out.”
It’s a tough, but honest, situation the Bulls find themselves in: Williams is here to stay. At this point, he’s a reserve forward who can defend in a pinch and knock down threes at a respectable clip. And that’s about it. The grass could be greener, but that’s something we’ll likely never know. Williams’ future probably shouldn’t be in Chicago—but that’s how it has to be.