Could Knicks make a move for young Bulls forward?
A new trade target may have become available for the New York Knicks to pursue. According to the Chicago Bulls have made forward Patrick Williams available on the trade market.
Bulls are making Patrick Williams available for trade
“A source Saturday told the Sun-Times that Karnisovas finally has bought in to 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 wrote.
Williams is currently in his fifth NBA season, all of which with the Bulls. The 2020 fourth overall draft pick out of Florida State seemed to be making improvements in his development, but has regressed this season and has really struggled to provide an impact on a Bulls team that sits at 18-25 and 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Williams is averaging just 9.4 points per game and is shooting just 38% from the field, which is by far a career-low for him. The forward has started to take more three-point shots and has found some efficiency there, as he is shooting 36.4% from three on a career-high 4.7 threes attempted per game.
The Knicks could potentially turn around Williams’ career
A change of scenery could help Williams find his scoring stroke. As for the Knicks, adding him to the roster could give them a great amount of depth off the bench, as they are in desperate search of bench help while Mitchell Robinson continues to miss time with an ankle injury.
The main stipulation will be the Bulls’ asking price for Williams. It is likely that they want multiple draft picks for him considering that he is only 23 years old and was a former lottery pick. The Knicks moved a ton of their assets in the trades to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, so they may need to move around some other pieces such as Jericho Sims to acquire the draft capital to facilitate future trades.
Ultimately, Williams’ market is unclear, and given the short notice of him being made available, he might not be moved until next offseason. Nevertheless, if the Knicks find themselves interested in his services, expect them to check in with Chicago on his availability.
