Bulls forward Patrick Williams will undergo surgery on his injured left foot and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Bulls, Williams was initially diagnosed with a bone edema, but recent imaging revealed a “progression of his foot stress reaction.” He last played on January 25.
The No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Williams has had an up-and-down four seasons with Chicago, showcasing tantalizing two-way upside at times mixed in with plenty of inconsistency. Part of that has been due to injuries — while he played 71 games as a rookie and all 82 games in 2022/23, he was limited to just 17 games in ’21/22 due to a wrist injury and only made 43 appearances this season due to foot and ankle issues.
Overall, the 22-year-old averaged 10.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .443/.399/.788 shooting in 43 games (27.3 MPG) in ’23/24, including 30 starts.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Williams will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Bulls give him a $12,973,527 qualifying offer.
With Williams and Torrey Craig (right knee sprain) both sidelined, the Bulls have been running smaller lineups, with a starting five of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. Rookie Julian Phillips and second-year wing Dalen Terry also received rotation minutes in Thursday’s loss vs. Boston.
Williams is Chicago’s second opening-night starter to go down with season-ending foot surgery, joining two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. The Bulls are currently 26-30, the No. 9 seed in the East.
Bulls are about to be stuck paying this guy a number this summer that is way higher than they want to pay …. Their lack of draft picks the past couple of years means they HAVE to pay, and Williams knows this.
The best the Bulls can hope for is that he starts to turn flashes of “what if” into consistency, and becomes worth the number they are gonna end up paying him. They legit cannot let him walk. They lack bodies, and continue to try and act like a contender. Can’t replace him with better, so must gamble on upside. If a team like say the Pistons come in with a stupid offer …. Bulls gonna have to match whatever it is.
Sadly you’re right. Bulls FO are too stupid to let him walk. Look at how Zach is already turning into a waste of a max contract already. Bulls are forever in mediocrity
This could work out badly for Williams and great for the Bulls. He won’t get a max because of the injuries and the fact he hasn’t lived up to expectations. The Bulls will offer him a very team friendly contract and if after recovery he begins to fulfill his potential his contract will be a bargain.
Good thing the Bulls held onto all their pieces at the deadline, love watching them get stomped by the Celtics half trying
Kornet going off was the icing on the cake.
PW will be one of the more interesting RFAs this off season, particularly now with another season being cut short by injury. I could see some disparate views on his value. I see CHI making the Q/O, but I don’t see it being beneficial to either party that he return to play for 1 year on the terms that apply in that situation.
Yeah but is the season actually cut short or is he cutting bait after coming seeing what this team looks like coming out of the ASB? Why get more injured fighting for a play in shot when you can rest and still get paid?
In a post-Simmons world, who knows? But if his end game was to rest and get paid, I’m sure he could come up with something that didn’t require foot surgery. That could take a lot of fun out of resting and getting paid.
Idk if I’d constitute “surgery” with “rest” but go off king
Every surgery is different genius
Yes. Can’t the Bulls just match the best offer? Bulls are having bad luck. Hindsight is 20/20.
Yes, if they make a Q/O (13 mm or so for 1 year) and Williams declines it and subsequently gets a multi-year offer sheet from another team. But teams try to avoid both accepted Q/O’s and being presented with offer sheets. There are trade restrictions on the player in either scenario.
Don’t worry. Now we’ll be ready to run it back again next season! Continuity forever!!!
He can become a decent backup.
Bulls have no choice but to give Williams a QO. Then hope he balls out next yr. So they can either trade him. Or sign him long term. Fact is Bulls have not used him well. Seems they don’t know how to use him. Seems like a confused FO to me. Williams would be better served to get traded. Go to a team that knows how to use him and commit to him at SF ……. to me, I see a strong comparison to OG. Big potential as 2way player. With emphasis on defensive end.
Interesting situation coming.
Patrick Williams priced himself out of a negotiation last time. Now was that because he really overvalued himself or cause he doesn’t want to be in Chicago. Either way he’s now going to get himself straight with this surgery and be ready for a new challenge this offseason it seems. The ball is in the Bulls court, do you give him the Q/O at 13mil or try get him for less and risk losing him for nothing or do you overpay him on a multi year deal and hope he has a huge developmental year like Coby White?
Due to not having future picks and stuck with long term money in Zach and Vuce your kinda forced into paying to keep him and hoping for the best.
Sucks for Patrick cause even if he wanted to take less to leave he can’t and clearly it’s just not working for him in Chicago.
Best case scenario for both sides would be a sign and trade but I don’t see many teams wanting to commit money across a few years on Patty and give up an asset aswell.
Maybe Utah or Atlanta,
Patrick Williams (3 years 45mil) for John Collins or DeAndre Hunter.
Bulls really only have themselves to blame tho
Patty Will would give them a really nice on ball defender and someone who can slide from 3-4 with Lauri. Really good shooter for spacing the floor which opens up more minutes for Walker Kessler once again too.
For Chicago,
Coby White Zach LaVine (for now) Caruso John Collins and Vuce. Double bigs which won’t block up the paint. John can space a little and run the floor. More size and gives you a return for Pat. You’d hope he can rediscover his 20-10 form from the ATL days.
I think it is optimistic to think TOS injury is not going to derail his career. It can be very serious if you look up the possible end games, and knowing the Bulls’ history with injuries I am very pessimistic. They should absolutely low ball him and let another team take the chance if they want to overpay him.