NBA analyst calls for Chicago Bulls to part ways with former top-5 pick

The Chicago Bulls drafted Patrick Williams fourth overall, and last year extended him on a five-year, $90 million deal. Now, one NBA analyst says it’s high time to trade him and put an end to this nightmarish partnership. Williams has struggled to really excel at the NBA level with the Bulls.

Chicago Bulls should trade Patrick Williams

There is no bigger believer in Patrick Williams than the Chicago Bulls. They surprisingly drafted him fourth overall in 2020 over Isaac Okoro (whom they now have), Onyeka Okongwu, Tyrese Haliburton, and a few other prospects who easily have been better NBA players. Then, they extended him for $90 million when few had any interest in his free agency at all. The Bulls, for some reason, have loved Williams.

But that doesn’t mean it’s the best place for him. The Bulls have gone nowhere with him, and it doesn’t look like Williams can ever be anything in Chicago. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley said that he is one of five players that’s still under 25 but are in major need of a change of scenery.

“That’s not to say his stagnation should be blamed on the organization. They’ve given him one chance after the next to find his footing, and it just hasn’t happened,” Buckley noted. “At times, he has appeared way too passive, but when he’s tried to dial up his aggression, that hasn’t worked, either.”

Maybe Williams is just not a good NBA player, but he has good defensive tools and shoots 39.2% from three for his career. Some teams could make use of that, and since he’s only 23, Buckley said it was probably foolish to totally abandon hope on him. It is just well past time to change his scenery.

“It doesn’t take much imagination to see him comfortably and capably handling a three-and-D role, but that would still make him a massive disappointment in Chicago,” Buckley added. Fans don’t like Williams like the front office does, but they’d still prefer to see something out of a top-five pick making almost $20 million a year.

If he were traded, all expectations would go away, and since the Bulls would have to attach draft capital just to get rid of him, plenty of teams might consider taking a flyer. “The weighty pressure to perform would be off his shoulders, and he may not be asked to do more than dig in defensively and shoot from distance—skills he has already showcased at this level,” Buckley said. 

The Bulls wanted more from Williams, but they’re not going to get it no matter how much they try, so it’s time to call it and move on.