Tag: Patrick Williams

Are the rumors that the Oklahoma City Thunder are interested in Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams true?

If they are, this is a scenario some fans of the team think that the Bulls’ front office absolutely cannot screw up.

Are the rumors that the Oklahoma City Thunder are interested in Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams true? If they are, this is a scenario some fans of the team think that the Bulls’ front office absolutely cannot screw up.

Concerns that Chicago could see yet another talented young player walk out the door for nothing are understandable given the lack of action to prevent such a thing in the recent past by Bulls general manager Arturans Karnisovas and company. Could it end up happening once again with Williams’ free agency, or have they learned from their (many) mistakes in that regard?

The folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel took some time to put together a new clip making such a case themselves.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Williams as an Oklahoma City-bound free agency flight threat this offseason.

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Report: OKC Thunder interested in Bulls’ Patrick Williams

Report: OKC Thunder interested in Bulls’ Patrick Williams.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter this year’s offseason as one of the more intriguing teams. Fresh off a first-seed and second-round finish, OKC enters the summer with $35 million in cap space and deep pockets with draft assets.

This makes the Thunder a contender to make a massive move to upgrade their roster. A championship window was shattered open last season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

One possibility is Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. The Thunder have an interest in the 22-year-old, per The Athletic. OKC can either sign him to an offer sheet and hope Chicago doesn’t match or complete a sign-and-trade.

“If the Bulls have seen enough of the Williams experiment, one team that has great interest, a league source said, is Oklahoma City. The Thunder need more size, and they have an army of draft picks that can sweeten the pot for the Bulls if a sign-and-trade emerges in July.”

Williams would be an interesting long-term fit for the Thunder. Depending on who they give up in a sign-and-trade, he could slide right in with the rest of the starters as the power forward.

Injuries have plagued Williams — missing the better parts of two of his four seasons — but he’s been solid when healthy. He averaged 10 points on 44.3% shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season. He shot 39.9% from 3 on 3.4 attempts.

It’ll remain to be seen how genuine the interest is. This could be a ploy by Williams’ camp to extract a larger contract from the Bulls as a classic negotiation tactic. But if the interest goes both ways, OKC could grab its starting four in an unconventional route it never takes.

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Will Patrick Williams re-sign with the Chicago Bulls in free agency?

Could the Chicago Bulls lose Patrick Williams in free agency?

The Chicago Bulls have a bunch of big choices to make in free agency this year. Chief among them is what to do with DeMar DeRozan, but Patrick Williams is a restricted free agent. Will he be back? Aaron Kellerstrass of Pippen Ain’t Easy believes there is a 55% chance Williams will be back in Chicago next year.

“This might be the toughest one on the list, as they can’t overpay to keep Williams, but don’t want to lose a 22-year-old wing player with upside for nothing,” Kellerstrass wrote. “The Bulls will have to extend the qualifying offer ($13 million) to make Williams a restricted free agent, and even that is a risk, as he might just accept it.

“There are also teams with cap space like the Pistons who might try to pry Williams away by making him an offer the Bulls don’t want to match. This one is in Chicago’s control, as they can match any offer, but how high do they really want to go for a guy who has yet to live up to his potential? A deal in the 4 years/$50 million range might be the minimum it will take for him to stay in Chicago.”

Losing Williams for nothing would be ugly for the Bulls.

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Patrick Williams floated as dream free agency target for Raptors

Would Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams make sense for the Toronto Raptors?

The Chicago Bulls have a few different things to focus on this summer. DeMar DeRozan’s free agency is the most obvious, but Patrick Williams is also going to be a restricted free agent. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report sees him as a potential dream free agency target for the Toronto Raptors.

“The Toronto Raptors’ plan to get younger around Scottie Barnes and add more shooting should continue this summer,” Swartz wrote. “Patrick Williams would be an intriguing target to pursue. The 22-year-old hasn’t blossomed as expected during his four seasons with the Chicago Bulls, yet he has always been a talented three-point shooter. Williams has a career 41.0 percent mark from three across 213 regular-season games.

“Since Williams is able to play and defend either forward position, putting him next to Barnes in the frontcourt would give Toronto a big, versatile combination years away from their respective primes. Toronto would need to make Williams a sizable offer for Chicago not to match an offer sheet in restricted free agency, or the two sides could agree to a sign-and-trade.”

Should the Bulls re-sign Williams? Or does it all depend on the price?

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Could Bulls’ Patrick Williams sign an offer sheet with the Jazz?

Could Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams sign an offer sheet with the Utah Jazz in free agency?

The Chicago Bulls will have some big-time decisions to make this summer, and a lot of them will come to fruition in free agency. Patrick Williams will be an unrestricted free agent, and while the Bulls have his rights, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report thinks the Utah Jazz should sign him to an offer sheet.

“In the event he puts pen to paper for less than the max, signs a basic extension (140 percent raise) or the parties agree to wait until next summer, Utah has more than enough scratch to inflate the cost of other teams’ free agents—not unlike it did with Paul Reed last year,” Favale wrote. “Team CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik should consider doing the same with Patrick Williams. Granted, there’s more risk involved here. Even with injuries galore in his rear view—including season-ending surgery on his left foot this year—Williams will require a hefty offer sheet to really put pressure on the Chicago Bulls.

“And there’s no guarantee the folks in the Windy City match. They are the biggest wild cards this offseason, and Williams has yet to establish himself as a higher-volume offensive threat. Utah doesn’t need to care. The 22-year-old is a heady defender and capable of rumbling with bigger wings and forwards. If Chicago doesn’t match an offer sheet, the Jazz would meaningfully beef up their perimeter stopping power while unlocking some ultra-huge lineups featuring Williams, Markkanen, Taylor Hendricks, John Collins or Walker Kessler and a guard.”

Losing Williams would be a very tough blow for the Bulls.

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Chicago’s Patrick Williams on using his platform for good, his recovery, and the Bulls’ season to come

Take a look at how the Patrick Williams Foundation came to be, and what it plans to do. But first, let’s dive into Williams’ situation with the Bulls.

A season-ending injury can be the sort of thing that can have a younger player down in the dumps as they sort through the emotions such a situation can elicit. But for Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams, the show must go on, as the Florida State alum leaned into using his platform to effect change in the local community.

Williams put on a gala to launch his eponymous “Patrick Williams Foundation” on Thursday evening of this week, and we hear it went swimmingly. But what is his foundation about, what does it hope to to, and how did he get it off the ground?

The Bulls Wire linked up with the Charlotte native to talk it over just before the gala kicked off; let’s take a look at how the Patrick Williams Foundation came to be, and what it plans to do. But first, we dove into Williams’ situation with the Bulls.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Patrick Williams missing the rest of the Chicago Bulls’ season is just brutal

What does the Williams injury mean for the rest of the team this season?

The Chicago Bulls can’t seem to catch a break with news that starting forward Patrick Williams will miss the rest of the NBA’s 2023-24 season as he and the team elect for foot surgery to repair a hairline fracture. But don’t feel too much pity for the team’s front office, as they could have set themselves up to make something back in terms of draft assets for what is now all but certainly a lost season.

What does the Williams injury mean for the rest of the team this season? And Williams’ role with the ball club in future seasons? What are his recovery prospects for such an injury?

To try to talk us through the range of possibilities for the Bulls and Williams in light of his surgery, the hosts of the “Bulls Central” podcast took some time to break it all down on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Patrick Williams on Bulls future after news of season-ending surgery

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams discussed his future with the team after the announcement that he will have season-ending surgery.

The Chicago Bulls’ lack of movement at the trade deadline drew a ton of criticism from fans, but on top of that, the team has also dealt with some bad luck this season. In addition to losing Zach LaVine for the rest of the season, it was recently announced that Patrick Williams is set to have season-ending surgery on his left foot.

To make matters more interesting, Williams is in the final year of his contract and will need a new contract this summer. Now, he’ll be left to negotiate after missing the final stretch of the season post-All-Star break.

Following the news, Williams spoke at length about his future with the team. (H/t KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago)

“I don’t think anybody knows what their future is to be honest,” Williams said. “I would love to continue to be a Bull. I love it here. I love the opportunity we have to build culture, to build something special with this group and this team. I think I could really be a cornerstone piece for this team. But you never know what the future holds, and I understand it’s a business. Like I said, I love it here. I love the team. I love the guys. I love the front office. For now, worry about the surgery and getting back playing and let the chips fall where they may. . . . Nobody has really even talked about contract stuff. It’s more so about getting me back healthy, which I appreciate.”

Will Williams still be on the Bulls next season?

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What are the Chicago Bulls doing for the rest of the season?

What is the Chicago Bulls’ plan for the remainder of the season?

When the Chicago Bulls decided to do nothing at the trade deadline, fans were upset. This year marks the third in a row that the Bulls decided to stand pat, choosing to keep the roster they have on hand in favor of pushing for the playoffs. What have they gotten out of it? One playoff win in two seasons.

Heading into the final stretch of this season, things are looking rough for the Bulls. Patrick Williams and Zach LaVine are both out for the rest of the season, and in their first game since the All-Star break, they got blown out by the Boston Celtics in a 17-point loss.

That said, Coby Whtie and Ayo Dosunmu have been playing well, and the Bulls just signed Onrulap Bitim to a standard deal. What will the rest of the year look like? The Chicago Bulls Central YouTube channel recently discussed this very topic.

The Bulls are in a very weird spot.

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Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams to have season ending surgery

Will Chicago get an additional boost from playing prospects deeper in the rotation as they did with Coby White?

If you thought that the Chicago Bulls were down bad when they lost Zach LaVine to a foot injury for the rest of the NBA’s 2023-24 season earlier this month, well — the basketball gods just said, “Hold my beer.”

Word on the street is that yet another key member of the Bulls’ rotation to a foot injury, this time forward Patrick Williams. Initially set to be re-evaluated in a few weeks, a second look at his injury by the team convinced them that his stress fracture had worsened enough that surgery was the proper course of action for the Charlotte native.

Will Chicago get an additional boost from playing prospects deeper in the rotation as they did with Coby White in LaVine’s case? After signing wing Onuralp Bitim to a full roster spot, that seems to be the plan.

The folks behind the CHGO Sports’ “CHGO Bulls” show took a closer look at this mess and what it means for Chicago moving forward. Check it out above!

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