Suns Emerge as Favorites to Acquire Bulls’ Former Fourth Overall Pick Via Trade
With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline less than three weeks away, trade rumors have started to heat up and one team that has been in the middle of them is the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have had a disappointing season thus far despite starting the season 8-1. Of course, they were expected to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season due to their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but they instead hold a 21-21 record and sit 10th in the West standings.
With the Suns struggling, they have already made some changes to their lineup and their roster. They removed Beal and Jusuf Nurkić from the starting lineup, which has allowed Beal to thrive in his new role off the bench. Phoenix also acquired Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets to upgrade their center rotation, but they are expected to make even more moves to upgrade their roster.
The main player the Suns have linked to is Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, but with the Heat in no hurry to trade him and Phoenix having a difficult time putting together a package for him, they may look to target a different player. One player that has recently become available is Patrick Williams of the Chicago Bulls.
According to , the Suns are the current favorite (+300) to land Williams in a trade from the Bulls. They are followed by the Heat (+400) and the Washington Wizards (+500).
Of course, Williams was the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Bulls but he has not lived up to expectations thus far. The 23-year-old is averaging just 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 38.1% from the field and 36.7% from three this season.
Williams has also dealt with a ton of injuries throughout his career, but a change of scenery could be the best thing possible for him. If the Suns do end up trading for him, they would have to include Nurkić in the deal to match salaries, but he would give them another young forward that still has a ton of potential.