Report: Chicago Bulls, Patrick Williams Agree to 5-Year, $90 Million Contract Extension

Judging by moves made over the past couple of weeks, it appears that the Chicago Bulls have kickstarted a rebuild. Most of the conversation has revolved around whether older veterans DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine are going to be back on the roster next year.

Another topic of discussion was the restricted free agency of Patrick Williams, the Bulls' No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 draft . Williams has shown an expansive skill set but has not been able to put all the pieces together due to injuries in his young career. Bulls VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas made fans uncomfortable at his post-NBA Draft press conference with his non-committal stance on Williams' injury healing this offseason.

There were rumors that teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder were ready to offer an attractive package to the Bulls should they be receptive to making a move, but it looks like that was never the case.

Per Shams Charania , the Bulls and Williams agreed to a $90 million deal over five seasons. The initial reaction may seem like it is quite excessive for a player who only had averages of 10 points and four rebounds last season, especially if the rumored rebuild was about to kick in.

However, Williams plays into the Bulls' youth movement. He is only 22 years old and has a skill set that is extremely desirable in today's NBA environment.

Even in focusing on a younger lineup next season, Williams can easily slip into the power forward slot next to new draftee Matas Buzeli and either Vucevic or whichever younger replacement at center the Bulls can get if they move on from the veteran.

Ultimately, it seems like the Chicago Bulls front office struck a deal with a young asset that may very well be in the best interest of both parties. Others in Williams' draft class have already signed bigger contracts than Williams, but roughly $18 million a year in two to three seasons may just be the going rate of an average NBA player the way that contracts are going. Locking in Williams at this rate seems like a good move for the Bulls front office regardless of whether the youth transition is happening or not.

All in all, it seems the Bulls were interested in locking down a young asset at a reasonable contract number. His youth and skill set can continue being a positive for the team whether they stay trying to be competitive or as a young piece in the next iteration of their team.

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