Bulls and Patrick Williams ready to continue partnership

Bulls and Patrick Williams ready to continue partnership originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago

Presented by National Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Following Wednesday’s first round of the NBA Draft, Chicago Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas said he would wait until free agency ended to declare the franchise’s identity.

But make no mistake: the trend is younger.

Shortly after Karnišovas called up 19-year-old Matas Buzelis that night, just days after trading veteran Alex Caruso for 21-year-old Josh Giddey, a source confirmed the Bulls are confident in re-signing the fifth-year forward. Patrick Williams when free agency opens on Sunday night.

The Athletic reported that Williams intends to sign a five-year contract worth $90 million. The verbal agreement will take place on Sunday, but Williams will not be able to officially sign until the league’s moratorium ends on July 6.

That salary would make sense given the difference between what the Bulls offered and what Williams and his representative were seeking before the start of last season in rookie extension negotiations.

Before last season, Williams turned down what sources at the time indicated was a four-year offer worth about $64 million, although it is unknown whether that represented a final offer or part of ongoing negotiations. Sources at the time indicated that Williams’ side was seeking a deal close to De’Andre Hunter’s four-year, $90 million deal but could have accepted $20 million annually.

That’s why all signs for months pointed to Williams’ return after a fairly smooth negotiation. And with the salary cap set to increase with the new TV rights deal, Williams’ annual salary won’t be much more than the mid-level exception at the end of this deal. That would represent 12.76% of the projected $141 million salary cap for next season.

After all, Williams is about to sign an $18 million annual contract after a season in which surgery halted his campaign for the second time in four years. Williams, who will turn 23 in August and represents Karnišovas’ first personnel move as the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, averaged 10 points on 39.9 percent 3-point shooting in 43 games.

On draft night, this is what Karnišovas had to say about the health of Williams, who underwent surgery in February due to a stress reaction in his left foot. Originally, Williams sat out after Jan. 25 with bone edema in his foot, but imaging as he prepared to return revealed the injury had progressed.

“We have to look at it [Williams] schedule, but he was planning on being ready for training camp,” Karnišovas said on draft night.

Whether or not Williams is ready to head to training camp, he is ready to firmly enter the Bulls’ youth movement. In addition to the acquisitions of Giddey and Buzelis, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips return to a team that may not be able to release veterans even after the Caruso trade.

The Bulls acquired Zach LaVine seemingly for good and sources indicated that on-again, off-again negotiations with the Sacramento Kings could still move forward. However, Karnišovas’ tone regarding his stance on re-signing DeMar DeRozan changed drastically on draft night.

“Everything is on the table,” Karnišovas said on draft night. “And you know, it’s still an option.”

This is a departure from Karnišovas’ previous position of adamantly stating that he would like DeRozan to return. Now, DeRozan is set to enter unrestricted free agency on Sunday night. And with the news on Saturday that Paul George has opted out, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that he will visit his current team in the Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, there could be a domino effect for DeRozan.

League sources indicated keeping an eye on the Clippers as a potential landing spot for DeRozan should George sign elsewhere.

As for Williams’ imminent signing, he is a career 41% 3-point shooter with defensive versatility. The injuries are out of his control, but even with his inconsistencies and occasionally maddening stretches of passive play, he has shown the ability to be a prominent “3-eD” player.

And with the league’s emphasis on wings and the need to defend multiple positions, Williams fits the bill. And that’s why the Bulls should follow a similar path to the one they took with Coby White last offseason, proactively signing one of their own to keep him out of the restricted free agency game.

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