One name absent from the many who have previously been floated as a potential trade deadline target or tied to teams on the hunt for new blood on the Chicago Bulls roster has made a late appearance in deadline buzz. That would be Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who is starting to garner interest among the front offices of other teams after having failed to come to terms with Chicago’s front office on a contract extension, per Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto.
Per the HoopsHype reporter, “rival executives are quietly monitoring the availability of former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams ahead of the deadline,” with the looming restricted free agency of the former top pick driving the interest.
It remains unclear what plans the Bulls have for such a scenario, but Chicago would be able to match any deal that came his way this offseason with the right of first refusal baked into his current deal.
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More likely than not, Williams makes it to the offseason wearing red and white.
But a motivated buyer could likely come up with an offer that could convince the Bulls to move on, given we have heard little in the way of affirmations from the team that they intend to keep Williams.