2024-25 Chicago Bulls Second Quarter Progress Report

However, a Saturday report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times on the change-of-heart Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas has realized that Bulls forward Patrick Williams is a remarkable accent on the team's mid-season state.

According to Cowley in his Saturday column, "Karnisovas finally has bought into the idea that 23-year-old forward Patrick Williams needs a change of scenery, opening the door for him to be on the trade block, too."

Cowley's report represents a nuanced but material shift in tone on Williams' status in the eyes of the Bulls front office brass. NBA Insider Jake Fischer reported on Nov. 22, 2024, that the Bulls were "going to be open-minded to moving a player such as Patrick Williams." Perhaps open-mindedness has transformed into a firm resolution in Karnisovas' mind that Patrick Williams is best suited in another NBA franchise's uniform.

Trade Pat? Why Now?

The news surrounding Patrick Williams' new Bulls contract, which is five years and $90M, was first reported on June 30, 2025. Since his rookie season, Patrick Williams has also garnered NBA trade interest.  

To add a poignant bow to the first half of Williams's 2024-25 NBA season, his on-court performance deficiencies are as visible as ever. Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune published a Saturday column that included an interview with Williams, who spoke directly about the struggles he's working through in his fifth NBA season. 

If the Bulls indeed decide to trade Patrick Williams by the 2025 NBA trade deadline, then Arturas Karnisovas should clearly explain his logic for not only turning down opportunities to engage a Patrick Williams trade market when there was league demand for the Bulls' 2020 4th overall draft selection but also going so far as to extend Williams for a five-year, $90M contract when he could have simply negotiated a better contract price or not extended Williams at all.

Regardless of how Williams' tenure with the Chicago Bulls will resolve the bigger picture question, Bulls fans should continue to ask: What are the goals of Arturas Karnisovas' asset management decisions within his Bulls Basketball Operations department?  

Sadly, Patrick Williams may go down in Bulls history as a comprehensive example of Karnisovas' short-sighted executive decision-making abilities in drafting, trade negotiations, and salary cap management. Some may argue Karnisovas never should have used his 2020 first-round draft pick on Williams.  

Even beyond the draft, Karnisovas likely had opportunities to get a return on Williams or mitigate Williams's salary cost growth. Patrick Williams's performance halfway through the 2024-25 Bulls season is unfortunate. Arturas Karnisovas' performance in his fifth season as the Bulls' head of basketball operations is unacceptable.