Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams recently signed a five-year, $90 million contract, but there’s a chance that he might not be available in the first few weeks of his new deal.
This was revealed by The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry, who recently discussed this development in his appearance on Monday’s Bernstein & Holmes Show.
“I’ve heard that he’s still not healthy from this foot injury. And so, that does make you kind of wonder if there are some issues with his body, if he’s going to linger. Not just with injury, but any injury that comes over the lifespan of this new contract,” Mayberry said on Patrick Williams.
“There are some major questions that are following Patrick Williams even though he has the money,” he added.
After playing the full 82 games in 2022-23, Patrick Williams only played 43 regular season games (30 starts) in 2023-24, averaging 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.9 percent from three-point land. Williams’ was shut down in February due to a stress fracture on his foot.
Chicago Bulls give Patrick Williams a new opportunity.
With the Chicago Bulls looking to move Zach LaVine and having traded DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso to the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively, they are looking to let their younger players like Patrick Williams shine, starting next season.
“I love it here. I love the opportunity we have to build a culture, build something special with this group, with this team,” Patrick Williams said back in February. “And I think I’m a really good cornerstone piece for this team.”
There’s no doubt the runway has been cleared for Patrick Williams to showcase his full arsenal. However, he needs to be 100 percent healthy first before the new season starts