Presentation by National Insurance Agent Jeff Vuckovich
Following the conclusion of the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday, Chicago Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnišovas said the team will wait until free agency is over before declaring its identity.
But don’t get us wrong: the trend is spreading among younger generations.
Following Karnišovas’ draft selection of 19-year-old Matas Buzelis that night and then just days later trading veteran Alex Caruso for 21-year-old Josh Giddey, sources confirmed the Bulls are confident in re-signing fifth-year forward Patrick Williams when free agency opens Sunday night.
The Athletic reported Williams is looking to sign a five-year, $90 million contract. A verbal agreement is expected to be reached on Sunday, but Williams cannot officially sign until July 6, when the league’s moratorium ends.
The salary would make sense given the difference between the salary the Bulls offered and what Williams and his agent asked for in rookie extension negotiations before the start of last season.
Before last season, Williams turned down what sources at the time suggested was a four-year, $64 million offer, but it’s unclear if that was a final offer or part of ongoing negotiations. Sources at the time said Williams’ camp was looking for a deal closer to De’Andre Hunter’s four-year, $90 million deal but might have accepted $20 million per year.
That’s why there have been indications for months that Williams could return after negotiations were largely smooth sailing. And with a salary cap that is expected to skyrocket with the new TV-rights deal, Williams’ salary won’t be much higher than the mid-level exception by the time his contract ends, which would amount to 12.76% of next season’s projected salary cap of $141 million.
Williams ended up signing a contract worth $18 million a year after a season-shortened due to his second surgery in four years. Williams, who turns 23 in August, was the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and Karnišovas’ first personnel change, averaging 10 points and shooting 39.9 percent from the 3-point line in 43 games.
On draft night, Karnišovas spoke about Williams’ health: Williams underwent surgery in February for a stress reaction in his left foot. Williams had initially missed a game since Jan. 25 due to bone swelling in his left foot, but imaging tests as he worked his way back up showed the injury had progressed.
“his [Williams] “The schedule has changed, but we intend to be ready by training camp,” Karnisovas said on draft night.
Whether or not Williams will be fully ready by training camp, he’s poised to become a solid addition to the Bulls’ young roster. Besides the additions of Guidi and Buzelis, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Darren Terry and Julian Phillips are returning to the team, but the veteran exodus may not be over after the Caruso trade.
The Bulls appear intent on selling Zach LaVine for good, and sources say on-again, off-again talks with the Sacramento Kings could still move forward, while coach Karnisovas’ stance on re-signing DeMar DeRozan changed dramatically on draft night.
“All options are on the table,” Karnisovas said on draft night, “and, you know, it’s still an option.”
It’s a shift from Karnišovas’ previous stance, in which he had made it clear he wanted DeRozan back. Now, DeRozan is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday night. Then, on Saturday, news broke that Paul George had opted out of his contract, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that George will visit his current teams, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, which could set off a domino effect for DeRozan.
League sources have suggested the Clippers are in the running to be a potential destination for DeRozan if George signs with another team.
As for Williams’ soon-to-be signing, he’s a career 41 percent three-point shooter and has defensive versatility, and while injuries are out of his control, he’s shown the ability to be an outstanding 3-and-D player even with some shaky and sometimes frustratingly passive play.
And with the league’s emphasis on wings and the need to defend multiple positions, Williams fits the bill perfectly, which is why the Bulls are likely to take the same route they did with Coby White last offseason and aggressively sign their own players to keep him out of the restricted free-agent game.
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