Senior writer for ESPN Zach Lowe, on this morning’s edition of The Lowe Post podcast, ran down the list of 2020 rookies with pending free agency after this season’s conclusion. Patrick Williams was the first character of interest on Lowe’s list and the response was shocking. The Bulls’ fourth-year forward averages less than ten points per game, shoots 47% from the field and 41% from deep, and has started 145 of his career 170 games. Injuries haven’t been a significant concern for the former Seminole outside of torn ligaments in his wrist during his second year that caused him only to play 17 games in the 2021-22 campaign. What is the number that Lowe expects Williams to demand, and how does he fit into Chicago’s future plans?
200 Million Dollar Man
Yes, you read that right. Patrick Williams is reportedly seeking 200 million dollars to be the number on his next contract. Not only is that steep, but that’s laughable at this point in his career. Unless that deal is seven or more years, which is impossible with the current CBA, there is little to no standing ground to justify this large of a contract. An elite defender, a sub-par offensive player with 15-to-20 points per game potential in flashes, and a knockdown three-point shooter are the only conclusions to this point for Williams. It’s hard to imagine Chicago doling out that lucrative of a contract to a player whose constant struggles are elementary things like effort and aggression, and even though the talent has been seen a handful of times over his years, it’s far from normalcy to see him shine on a nightly basis.
Devin Vassell is a good gauge. As a fellow 2020 NBA Draft selection, he was due for a contract extension until earlier this month when he and the Spurs agreed to a 5-year, $146 million extension. Vassell’s deal made much more sense for San Antonio than one with Williams would for the Bulls. Their newly extended guard averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per contest over his 38 games a season ago. Despite a knee injury that held him out over half the year, he still showed improvement in each of his first three years from an efficiency and production standpoint. He’s continued to shine during the preseason and is eyeing his first 20 points per game season in 2023.
Finding His Role In 2023
For Williams, half the battle is learning his role before he can excel in it. While he’s shown spurts of incredible individual scoring ability, playing alongside Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic has dwindled his role to an off-ball threat with elite defensive skills. He’s scored 20 or more eight times across three seasons, and his best stretch came at the end of 2022, where he dropped 35 points in a game where the starters were rested and followed it with two 20-point playoff performances against Milwaukee. The shooting efficiency numbers have improved each season, and his rim-attacking abilities are among the best on the roster when he’s aggressive.
A rotation where he’s mainly playing alongside the second unit and then in the closing lineup would not be surprising. This would give Williams more of the scoring freedom he’s excelled in over the few chances he’s had to shine without the 50-shot attempts of LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic swallowing up his shots. The rebounding and overall aggressive nature are currently in question but cannot be left unanswered if he’s expecting this lucrative payday. Intangibles need to be expected when earning over $20 million annually, and at a seven-year or longer deal, tying a franchise to someone with effort issues is not an ideal investment.
At this moment, Chicago would send Patrick Williams packing if he’s demanding this contract level. With DeRozan also becoming a free agent this summer, there’s no plausible way to pay them both at the rate they seek. DeRozan will likely walk due to age, and the contract demands that his last two seasons have warranted, whereas Williams will quickly sign a short-term deal or find a new home if these reports are accurate. Lowe was equally dumbfounded by the idea, “I would need some past production for that kind of cheese.”
In a prove-it season for the former fourth overall draft selection, the ante just skyrocketed for him to prove his value to the Chicago Bulls organization.
