Most of the tough decisions the Chicago Bulls have to make this summer relate to their own players.
It appears they will bring back free-agent DeMar DeRozan, but guys like Patrick Williams and Andre Drummond are less certain.
Both players may hold interest for the Bulls, as Williams is only 22 years old and still has upside as a 3-and-D forward, and Drummond established himself as one of the best backup centers in the NBA last season.
Williams is the bigger decision, as the Bulls will have to tender him the $12.9 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. The two sides can negotiate from there, and the Bulls may have some leverage after Williams finished the season injured.
But Chicago may have competition according to Bleacher Report, who predicted the Bulls would lose Williams to the Raptors in free agency, saying that Toronto could make an offer that Chicago doesn’t want to match.
The Bulls can’t get into a bidding war for Williams, and there is an argument they should just let Toronto or some other team have him if they are willing to pay big bucks.
Should the Chicago Bulls let Patrick Williams go?
At the right price, Williams is a player worth investing in, as he’s got size and can shoot the 3-ball, which are things teams are always going to need.
But what is the right price? Williams hasn’t lived up to being taken 4th in the draft, has never averaged more than 10 points per game, has not stayed healthy in two of his four seasons and has never shown the ability to create his own shot or make plays.
The counter is that he’s 22 and the Bulls haven’t done a great job developing him. They are also thin on young talent and would potentially be letting a guy walk who ends up blossoming for another team, leaving a big hole.
If the Bulls don’t believe he’s got another level, then they can’t pay him as if it’s a guarantee, as it is not. If someone else wants to pay nearly $20 million a year to find out if Williams is anything more than a role player, the Bulls may have to let them.
The best-case scenario is the Bulls retain Williams on a team-friendly contract that he outplays as he blossoms into a star, but the Bulls have to decide how much they are willing to pay to take that chance.