Free agent forward Patrick Williams will re-sign with the Bulls for $90MM over five years, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The fifth season is a player option, tweets Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Williams, 22, was expected to be a cornerstone of the franchise when Chicago selected him with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. He hasn’t lived up to that billing due to injuries and inconsistent play, but executive Arturas Karnisovas decided to make keeping him a priority as part of his effort to build a younger and more athletic roster.
Williams received a $12.97MM qualifying offer this week, making him a restricted free agent. That means the Bulls could have matched any offer he received, but they opted to bypass that possibility by negotiating a new deal before free agency begins Sunday evening.
A stress reaction in Williams’ left foot cut short his season and forced him to undergo surgery in February. He averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 43 games, but he wasn’t able to play after January 25.
A report this week indicated that the Bulls were optimistic about their chances of working out a new contract with Williams. The Thunder were believed to be among the teams that had interest in pursuing him. Williams will get a healthy raise after earning $9.8MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract.
The agreement with Williams leaves Chicago with three remaining free agents, with DeMar DeRozan the most prominent name on the list. There has been increased speculation that DeRozan could be headed elsewhere, either leaving as a free agent or being involved in a sign-and-trade deal. Andre Drummond and Javonte Green are also unrestricted free agents.