The Chicago Bulls are caught with an enormous mistake, in line with y. It’s onerous to look at Patrick Williams wrestle whereas seeing what may have been. The crew gave him a five-year, $90 million contract extension, however that cash is now a weight across the franchise’s neck.
The latest information concerning the 2020 NBA Draft makes the state of affairs much more painful. In line with Tim MacMahon of The Hoop Collective, some folks within the Bulls’ entrance workplace really needed to draft Tyrese Haliburton at quantity 4. As a substitute, Artūras Karnišovas selected Williams. It’s a brutal method to notice you handed on a star.
A Large Missed Alternative
Haliburton didn’t simply grow to be a superb participant. He turned an elite drive. Per experiences, he led the league in assists throughout the 2023-24 season. He additionally helped the Indiana Pacers attain the 2025 NBA Finals. The Bulls haven’t even reached the Convention Finals since 2011. That hole in success is a direct results of poor drafting.
The expertise hole is staggering. Whereas Haliburton is profitable huge video games, Williams is seeing his position shrink. His taking part in time dropped throughout every of the final three seasons. Within the 2025-26 season, he performed solely 20.5 minutes per recreation. He additionally shot below 40 p.c from the sphere, which occurred twice in two years.
The Price of Unhealthy Selections
The cash is the true downside now. The Bulls nonetheless owe Williams $54 million over the subsequent three years. It is rather onerous to commerce a participant with these stats and that a lot cash on the books. No crew needs to tackle that sort of monetary burden.
The entrance workplace is making an attempt to maneuver ahead, however the basis is shaky. Brian Windhorst famous that the earlier management stayed of their roles lengthy sufficient to safe that $90 million extension for Williams. Now, the crew has to take care of the fallout of that alternative. The Bulls have loads of room for gamers like Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis, however they’re nonetheless lacking the elite expertise {that a} participant like Haliburton supplies.
