NBA Rumors: 1 trade for every Bulls player on chopping block

Bulls trade Patrick Williams to Thunder

Teams are expected to check in on former No. 4 pick Patrick Williams ahead of Thursday's deadline. He didn't sign an extension over the summer and Chicago faces a potentially difficult situation in restricted free agency. Williams has produced admirably this season — 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on .443/.399/.788 splits in 27.3 minutes — but the 22-year-old has not earned the extension he's about to receive. Rather than betting on the pieces eventually coming together, perhaps Chicago simply jumps ship.

Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder, who possess a bounty of draft picks to help facilitate deals big and small. The Bulls get a couple intriguing young players back in return, as well as a first-round pick and second-round pick next June. That's probably the rough going price for Williams. He projects as a competent 3-and-D wing on a contender, but injuries and inconsistency in Chicago make it difficult to render a complete judgement.

OKC can place Williams in the ideal situation, coming off the bench in a lineup filled with versatile defenders and high-level shot creators. Williams flashes upside as a face-up scorer, especially from the mid-range, but his bread is mostly buttered with spot-up 3s. At least for now. OKC can generate easy looks while leaning on Williams' impressive physicality on defense.

The Thunder still don't have a ton of bigger forwards on the roster. At least none that are ready to play high-leverage minutes. At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, Williams is built strong. He can handle the challenging frontcourt matchups — think Giannis Antetokounmpo or Karl-Anthony Towns — while also spending his share of time chasing smaller players around the perimeter. The Bulls avoid the pricey extension. OKC adds another financial complication to their future plans, but one with tremendous upside in a better team context.