These days, the Chicago Bulls are usually in the news because of a transaction.
This offseason, they traded away two key veterans in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. They tried and failed to do the same with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, who are still on the trade block. In that time, they acquired 2021 No. 6 pick Josh Giddey, who has emerged as their starting point guard.
Bulls Rookie Matas Buzelis Is Making Patrick Williams Expendable
As history often repeats itself, rumors that the Bulls are open to trading 2020 No. 4 pick Patrick Williams should’ve been expected.
When the Bulls signed Williams to five-year, $90 million contract extension in July, it seemed like they made a long-term commitment to him. In fact, they sounded like a team that hoped he would come into his own as a member of their franchise. Yet, Chicago has been prepared for an eventual trade.
“…The first priority of that deal was retaining Williams as an asset — either to develop or to utilize in a trade to bolster the roster for the long term,” reports the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe.
Unlike DeRozan, Caruso, LaVine, and Vucevic, Williams’s age nor contract is a deciding factor. Even his current health status may not be, although his injury has given 2024 No. 11 pick Matas Buzelis the opportunity to prove he’s their franchise power forward. That being said, if Buzelis keeps turning the corner, Williams may have spent his last season with the Bulls.
“[The increased playing time is] very important,” Buzelis says, per Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley. “I’m looking at it as an opportunity to play in the NBA. I’m super-thankful to play. Every time I step on the floor, I’m thinking of it as a blessing. I’m not taking it for granted. But every time I step out there, I’m going to keep learning, keep getting better.”
Making The Most Of His Opportunity
Buzelis is averaging 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 11.4 minutes per game this season. Though pedestrian numbers, the potential he displayed in limited minutes helped him earn his eventual promotion.
Career-high 14 points for Matas Buzelis tonight pic.twitter.com/xsuCfnSxkg
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) November 24, 2024
Now, in his last four contests, he’s averaging 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 23.0 minutes per game. Buzelis hasn’t quite found his rhythm beyond the arc, shooting 31.7 percent from three on the season. Nonetheless, his percentage (.333) on corner threes the last four games inspires confidence.
Fearlessness vs. Finesse
To this point, Buzelis’s best attribute may be his fearlessness.
“That’s what he do,” Coby White said of Matas Buzelis.
“He ain’t ‘gon never lack confidence. He’s very confident in his game and his abilities.” https://t.co/EHnA8ZbBUA
— Drew Stevens (@Drew_H_Stevens) November 24, 2024
He takes catch-and-shoot threes without hesitation. He’s a frequent flyer, growing wings the moment he puts the ball on the floor. Though the 20-year-old’s decision-making needs refining, his mindset is refreshing.
Williams is a better player than he’s often given credit for, but he’s too passive. In fact, while William’s injury history is unfavorable, his meek mindset is what really makes him expendable. Meanwhile, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan believes Buzelis’s top intangible is how he responds to adversity (h/t Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor).
“That’s the thing I think that has been beneficial for him. I have seen a lot of younger players make mistakes, and they get down on themselves, or they make mistakes, and they’re afraid to do anything. … If he does something, he tries to learn from it and move forward. It doesn’t deter him in his energy and the way he plays.”
Williams can’t necessarily be faulted for not being someone he isn’t. Frankly, the Bulls knew what kind of person he was when they were vetting him before the draft. Regardless of that though, if both he and Buzelis keep going down their respective paths, he’s going to be replaced.
It’s simply the most feasible direction to go in.
