Trade restriction officially lifted for overpaid forward

Although not as notable as December 15, the first date allowing recently-signed players to be traded, January 15 remains noteworthy, especially for the Chicago Bulls. After signing Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million extension in the offseason, the Bulls can now officially include the 23-year-old forward in a trade.

Williams signed the near-$100 million extension on July 6, following an injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign. The 6-foot-7 forward appeared in a mere 43 contests, including 30 starts, where he averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest.

The Bulls ultimately decided Williams' vast potential outweighed his subtle counting stats and seemingly plateaued development. The former Florida State Seminole's best campaign occurred in 2021-22 as a 21-year-old. However, it didn't differ much from his other seasons. In his third season, he averaged 10.2 points while converting 41.5 percent of his triples compared to 9.7 points and 40.1 percent accuracy from deep in four-plus seasons.

Halfway into his fifth season, Williams' averages are down to 9.4 points on subpar shooting splits. He's converting only 37.7 percent of his field goals and 36.2 percent of his three-pointers—both career lows. Consequently, Williams' name has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate through the early part of the 2024-25 season.

Patrick Williams can be traded as of January 15

Almost two months after NBA Insider Jake Fischer threw Williams' name out as a trade chip, the possibility of trading the former fourth-overall pick has come to fruition. If Chicago decides it's in their best interest to trade Williams, they'll have three weeks to do so.

Williams' trade restriction has fruitfully been lifted ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. While no suitors have since emerged to target the 6-foot-7 wing, it's unbeknownst whether the Bulls are actually willing to trade the recently extended forward. Williams has been a mainstay in Billy Donovan's lineup, starting all but one game and averaging 27.0 minutes per contest.

Despite Donovan's (or the Front Office's) insistence on starting Williams, the Bulls' results have not been up to standard. With the 23-year-old forward on the floor, the Bulls are 9.3 points per 100 possessions worse.

Chicago's only been better off with Williams on the floor in one of five professional seasons. He's ranked in the 16th percentile or worse in efficiency differential for four of his five seasons. Even though it might be a larger issue, Chicago has continuously struggled defensively whenever Williams has been on the court.

The time on Williams' All-Star clock has likely elapsed. However, there still seems to be plenty of untapped potential in the forward's game. He's still only 23 years old, somehow younger than 15 players drafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. It's becoming clear the Bulls cannot maximize Williams' potential, but another team might have what it takes to unlock his game to the fullest.