7 Most likely Chicago Bulls to be traded away this summer

2. Patrick Williams

Williams hopes to land a massive payday in restricted free agency. The 6’7 forward turned down a four-year extension at $16 million per season and wants $20-plus million. It is a massive amount for an unproven option with a growing injury history.

Williams has played just 213 games in his first four NBA seasons and never earned more than 28.3 minutes per contest for a full year. The 22-year-old still has room to grow but had a negative VORP twice. He is far from a difference-maker and paying him $20 million per season seems dangerous.

Chicago does not want a repeat of the Lauri Markkanen scenario. He never quite blossomed in Chicago, so the Bulls traded him in restricted free agency. Just two years later, he is an All-Star and one of the best scorers in the league. Williams does not have that offensive upside, but his current franchise does not want to see him blossom into a key starter and two-way force in another city.

The Bulls can match any offer he receives in restricted free agency, but will they? Williams may struggle to find a deal like Markkanen did. When he lands one, Chicago may be forced to sign-and-trade the 22-year-old. His free agency is something for fans to watch as it develops this summer.