Spurs-Pelicans off; neither has required 8 players

The Chicago Bulls have decided to explore the trade market for forward Patrick Williams. The Bulls will shop the fifth-year player head of the February 6 trade deadline.

Part of Chicago GM Arturas Karnisovas’ willingness to find a trade for Williams has been the forward’s inability to buy into what the coaching staff has asked of him. Bulls coach Billy Donovan recently said that the team needs to get more out of Williams on a nightly basis.

Williams is in the first year of a five-year, $90 million contract that he signed this past offseason. He’s paid a flat $18 million per season, with a player option his final season in 2028-29.

This season, Williams has averaged 9.2 points per game. He’s shooting a career-worst 37.7% from the field, while averaging a career-low 3.8 rebounds per game.