Patrick Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Patrick Williams To Undergo Season-Ending Foot Surgery

February 23rd, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls forward Patrick Williams will undergo surgery on his injured left foot and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Bulls, Williams was initially diagnosed with a bone edema, but recent imaging revealed a “progression of his foot stress reaction.” He last played on January 25.

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Williams has had an up-and-down four seasons with Chicago, showcasing tantalizing two-way upside at times mixed in with plenty of inconsistency. Part of that has been due to injuries — while he played 71 games as a rookie and all 82 games in 2022/23, he was limited to just 17 games in ’21/22 due to a wrist injury and only made 43 appearances this season due to foot and ankle issues.

Overall, the 22-year-old averaged 10.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .443/.399/.788 shooting in 43 games (27.3 MPG) in ’23/24, including 30 starts.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Williams will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Bulls give him a $12,973,527 qualifying offer.

With Williams and Torrey Craig (right knee sprain) both sidelined, the Bulls have been running smaller lineups, with a starting five of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. Rookie Julian Phillips and second-year wing Dalen Terry also received rotation minutes in Thursday’s loss vs. Boston.

Williams is Chicago’s second opening-night starter to go down with season-ending foot surgery, joining two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. The Bulls are currently 26-30, the No. 9 seed in the East.

Torrey Craig Has Right Knee Sprain, Out Multiple Weeks

February 20th, 2024 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Torrey Craig suffered a right knee sprain while working out during the All-Star break, the team’s PR department tweets. Craig will be reevaluated in two-to-four weeks.

Craig, who started regularly for the Suns last season, has appeared in 33 games (eight starts) this season in Chicago. The defensive stalwart is averaging 6.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21 minutes per game.

It’s the second significant injury Craig has suffered this season. He was sidelined in mid-December with an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia and didn’t return until Feb. 3.

Craig signed a two-year, $5.4MM contract during free agency last summer that includes a player option for next season.

Craig has mainly been used as an undersized power forward. The team’s starting power forward, Patrick Williams, is also dealing with an injury. He’s been out since Jan. 25 due to a left foot issue and isn’t close to returning.

Coach Billy Donovan said on Tuesday that Williams hasn’t started running yet and the staff is being “very, very careful” with the former lottery pick, who is still experiencing mild discomfort in the foot, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.

The frontcourt injuries could spur the Bulls to find help on the buyout market. They have an open roster spot.

Central Notes: Williams, Haliburton, Fontecchio, Grimes

February 15th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Patrick Williams hasn’t played since Jan. 25 due to a left foot injury. He’s also dealt with a right ankle injury while missing a total of 12 games this season.

Coach Billy Donovan hinted that Williams, a restricted free agent after the season, needs to give the team’s medical staff a heads-up if he’s not feeling 100 percent.

“I think Patrick has got to get better at when he has ailments and issues, not that he’s not getting treatment, but sometimes – and I’m not saying that this was the issue – but he’s got to really make sure that he’s not taking himself to a point where he’s putting himself in harm’s way health-wise,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Williams’ hasn’t had any setbacks regarding his current injury but his return depends on his ramp-up activity, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. He doesn’t have discomfort walking at this time but it’s unlikely he’d play against Boston, Chicago’s first game out of the All-Star break, Johnson adds (Twitter links).

We have more from the Central Division:

Tyrese Haliburton believes the Pacers can reach the Eastern Conference Finals, and perhaps even represent the conference in the NBA Finals. “I have no doubt in my mind that we can be a conference finals team, no doubt in my mind that we have that capability,” he told Marc J. Spears in an Andscape interview. “And again, I don’t even want to say that because I don’t want to put a limit on it. I think that teams already know when they see us it’s not a walk in the park. That was established last [season] with the way we played. And now add another guy like Pascal (Siakam) and with the success that I’m having and the success that everybody on our team is really having this year, it ain’t a walk in the park at all.”
The Pistons enter the All-Star break with eight victories in 54 gamse. After the Pistons made numerous trades before the deadline, James Edwards III of The Athletic believes that the impact of acquisitions Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes will be one of the top storylines to follow in Detroit for the rest of the season.
As for the Bulls, Johnson takes a look at the reasons for optimism and pessimism heading into the second half of the season. Chicago currently holds a play-in spot.

Bulls Rumors: DeRozan, Drummond, Caruso, Williams

February 5th, 2024 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

With Zach LaVine out for the rest of the season after opting for foot surgery, the Bulls‘ most important decision at the trade deadline will involve DeMar DeRozan, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Mayberry believes the organization should think twice about committing big money to the 34-year-old forward, who will be a free agent this summer. DeRozan and the team haven’t been able to reach a deal in extension talks, and Mayberry questions whether it’s wise to keep the core of the team together amid another mediocre season.

Thursday’s deadline provides an immediate opportunity to part with DeRozan, Mayberry notes, adding that the Bulls should be able to obtain draft assets or young talent from a contender in need of a veteran scorer.

There’s also the possibility of an offseason sign-and-trade, but Mayberry points out that waiting until summer presents the risk of losing DeRozan in free agency with nothing in return. Holding DeRozan’s Bird rights, the Bulls will have the advantage of being able to offer him more money than rival teams, but Mayberry states that DeRozan won’t have any other reason to stay in Chicago if he wants to be part of a winner.

There’s more on the Bulls:

Veteran center Andre Drummond is a target of several teams, including the Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. He adds that the Rockets considered making an offer for Drummond before acquiring Steven Adams last week. Scotto points out that Drummond carries significant value for teams in need of rebounding as he’s collecting 18.9 boards per 36 minutes this season.
The Bulls are asking for two first-round picks in exchange for Alex Caruso, Scotto adds. In addition to being a defensive standout, Caruso is viewed as a bargain because of his $9.89MM salary for next season. Scotto also hears that teams are keeping an eye on the potential availability of Patrick Williams, who wasn’t able to reach a rookie scale extension agreement before the start of the season.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago examines the trading record of president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and speculates how it might influence the team’s direction at this year’s deadline.

Pistons Rumors: Harris, LaVine, Morris, Bogdanovic, Burks

February 5th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Arthur Hill

With Zach LaVine out for the season, Sixers forward Tobias Harris may be the Pistons‘ top trade target, James L. Edwards of The Athletic writes in an overview of the team’s options ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Edwards has stated since December that the Pistons have interest in Harris, who spent time in Detroit early in his career and has connections with members of the front office and coaching staff.

Harris has been a reliable scorer throughout his career and is averaging 17.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists this season while shooting 51.2% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range. The 31-year-old can handle either forward spot and would give the Pistons a frontcourt weapon to team with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.

Edwards cautions that Detroit might not be overly aggressive in pursuing Harris this week because of his upcoming free agent status. The front office may be reluctant to part with a significant asset when it will have plenty of cap room to sign him this summer.

Edwards has more on the Pistons:

Detroit seems to have paused trade talks regarding LaVine, but Edwards isn’t certain that the team was ever very committed to acquiring him. While he reports there were “many discussions” between the Bulls and Pistons in recent weeks, sources in the organization tell Edwards that Detroit would have only gotten serious about such a move if Chicago was willing to attach other assets like draft compensation or another player such as Patrick Williams. Edwards also speculates that the Pistons may have been willing to take on LaVine’s contract if the Bulls would have accepted expiring deals in return, but he’s not certain of that. Chicago was asking for Bojan Bogdanovic and another young player, according to Edwards, who doesn’t believe Detroit would have ever agreed to that price.
League sources tell Edwards that numerous teams have inquired about Monte Morris. He cites the Timberwolves as one of the most interested parties, noting that they tried to deal for the veteran guard when he was still with Washington. Morris recently returned after being sidelined by injuries for the season’s first 43 games, and Edwards suggests that Detroit might prefer to hang onto him.
Edwards hears that rival teams have “strong interest” in Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, but the Pistons are leaning toward keeping both players unless the current offers improve.

Bulls’ Patrick Williams Likely Out Through All-Star Break

January 30th, 2024 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls forward Patrick Williams has been diagnosed with acute bone edema in his left foot, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Bulls, Williams will begin a period of “active rest” and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.

Noting that the Bulls’ last game before the All-Star break is on February 14, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago says a best-case scenario for Williams would see him return to action on Feb. 22 in the team’s first game after the break. However, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to play at that time.

Williams was held out of Sunday’s game in Portland due to what the team referred to in the injury report as mid-foot soreness. He was wearing a walking boot that day, according to Johnson, who adds that acute bone edema means there has been fluid build-up in Williams’ bone marrow. The former lottery pick said on Sunday that the foot had been bothering him for some time.

“It was just gradual. It’s been a while,” Williams said. “I’ve been trying to do maintenance on it, do pregame work on it, postgame work on it. That Laker game (last Thursday) kind of hit the peak for me.”

A potential restricted free agent at the end of the 2023/24 season, Williams has averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 27.3 minutes per game across 43 appearances (30 starts) for Chicago this season, posting a shooting line of .443/.399/.788.

With Williams and Torrey Craig both sidelined, Johnson expects rookie forward Julian Phillips to take on a larger rotation role. Ayo Dosunmu, who replaced Williams in the starting five on Sunday, is another player who could see more minutes with the fourth-year forward on the shelf.

Eastern Notes: Simmons, P. Williams, Sixers, Embiid, Rozier

January 29th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Nets swingman Ben Simmons will be active for Monday’s game vs. Utah, the team confirmed (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that Simmons was likely to play Monday.

Simmons hasn’t appeared in a game since November 6, when he sustained a nerve impingement in his lower back. He has been limited to six games thus far in 2023/24, averaging 6.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG and 6.7 APG in 31.8 MPG.

According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, Simmons’ teammates are excited to have him back.

“He definitely helps us. It’s good to see him back with the group,” starting center Nic Claxton said of Simmons. “Of course he brings this extremely high basketball IQ, being able to defend multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball, rebounding. So we are definitely happy to have him back.

“He’s been diligent, he’s been locked in on his rehab. Of course, nobody wants to go through what he’s going through with his back injury and everything but, you know, he’s happy to be back. I’m just happy to see how everything will look with him back with the group.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Bulls forward Patrick Williams is wearing a precautionary walking boot and is undergoing more testing on his injured left foot on Monday, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Williams, who has been managing right ankle and left foot injuries for much of the season, will miss his second straight game with left midfoot soreness on Tuesday vs. Toronto, Johnson tweets. “(The Los Angeles doctor) just recommended keeping his foot immobilized for right now,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “The biggest thing we’ve got to do is bring him back to Chicago and there will be a lot more imaging just to see where he’s at, but I think the pain is too great right now for him to play. Up to now I think it was something he was managing for quite some time, but it wasn’t something where the pain was so significant that he had to miss time. This is the first time it’s gotten to this place.”
Reigning MVP Joel Embiid was a late scratch from Saturday’s game in Denver due to left knee soreness. He was not previously on the injury report. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the NBA is expected to investigate the incident, with a source telling Pompey that a Sixers fine will likely follow for failing to follow the league’s protocol. Embiid will miss his second straight game on Monday and can miss no more than five more games over his final 37 in order to be considered for MVP, Pompey adds.
Heat guard Terry Rozier has struggled in his first few games with Miami but his teammates and coaches keep telling him to stay in attack mode, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We need him to be him. We want him to be him,” star forward Jimmy Butler said. “That’s the reason that he’s here. And the more comfortable that he gets, the more he realizes we’re all in his corner to shoot the ball and to be aggressive, to attack. “So as much as we are on him about it, we’ll be on him even more about it, because we want him to be him.”

Central Notes: Bates, LaVine, Walker, Williams

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers rookie second-rounder Emoni Bates and Gabe Osabuohien were each suspended for two games without pay for entering the spectator stands while playing for the G League Cleveland Charge, according to an NBA Communications press release.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Charge’s 126-105 loss to the Birmingham Squadron on Saturday. Bates, who is on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, will lose over $7,700 in pay during the G League suspension, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended the actions of the two players, claiming that they were subjected to nasty and inappropriate comments from the stands, Peter Dewey of CavaliersNation.com relays.

“We talked to Emoni and I want to be clear about the circumstances of that and I don’t think it’s been clear. It was an ugly incident from the fan standpoint,” the Cavaliers coach said. “Emoni and Gabe , they draw the attention and I understand the league’s hard and fast rule on approaching the stands and that type of thing, but there’s also a line that needs to be drawn between how fans believe they can interact with players, how they can interact with players’ families and the things that were said to Emoni and his family. I let him know we’ve got his back, we’re still supporting him and as a league there needs to be more done to protect those guys. They should never have to go through what they went through and be called the names they were called.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bulls revealed on Friday that Zach LaVine would miss at least a week due to a right ankle sprain. The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (Twitter link) that LaVine’s injury is worse than a Grade 1 (mild) sprain.
In light of the Pascal Siakam acquisition, Pacers’ rookie forward Jarace Walker would seemingly have an even smaller role. However, coach Rick Carlisle has been giving Walker more opportunities to play small forward, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. “Once we acquired Pascal, you gotta take a hard look at how this thing is shaping up,” Carlisle said. “With the realities about the importance of playing with size to being a good defensive team, it makes sense to put him in that equation somewhere. It doesn’t mean he will always play 3. The more I’m going through this, I like playing with size, size that can move and make plays and stay in front of people is even better.” Walker, the eighth overall pick of last year’s draft, has averaged 21.3 minutes of playing time over the last three games.
Patrick Williams, a restricted free agent after the season, remains a work in progress when it comes to decision-making on offense, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. Bulls coach Billy Donovan gave Williams a quick hook on Saturday when he made two passive decisions instead of being aggressive. “Guys grow and develop at different rates. It’s not like he doesn’t want to do it. I just think he’s got to be more decisive when the ball comes,” Donovan said.

Bulls Notes: Williams, Terry, Carter, Phillips, LaVine

January 20th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The right ankle pain that has been affecting Bulls forward Patrick Williams might linger for the rest of the season, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Soreness in the ankle has forced Williams to sit out a couple of recent games, and there’s no indication that it’s getting better. Williams talked to Cowley about his condition after playing nearly 27 minutes in tonight’s win over Memphis.

‘‘To be honest, I haven’t had many good days,’’ Williams said. ‘‘It’s just more of, ‘Can I play through it? Is this a feeling that I can play through or not? Can I cut? Can I jump?’ That’s pretty much the feel I’m trying to get, whether it’s pregame, practice or whatever the case may be. ‘Can I cut? Can I move?’ Hopefully the answer is always yes, but there’s times where [it’s], ‘Ah, I can’t really move and cut and jump the way I’m used to.’’’

Williams is getting used to managing an injury again after playing in all 82 games last season. Cowley observes that Williams sometimes doesn’t have his usual explosiveness, which is the result of limitations from the ankle. Cowley adds that next month’s All-Star break should provide some relief, but the ankle pain could be something Williams will have to deal with as long as the Bulls’ season lasts.

There’s more from Chicago:

With Zach LaVine sidelined for another week or two with an ankle sprain, Dalen Terry and Jevon Carter both saw an increased role in Saturday’s game, Cowley adds. Terry recently surpassed Carter in the rotation, but it appears coach Billy Donovan will be leaning on both of them until LaVine returns. ‘‘During the course of an NBA season, you’re going to have guys out,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘It gives an opportunity for someone that hadn’t had those number of minutes. The injuries are just a part of it. I think our guys should have confidence. Not every guy is going to be in the rotation when we’re whole. I’m pleased with the way the group has responded with injuries. I think we’ve responded well. It’s not to say we’ve always won, but I think the guys that have gotten the opportunity have kept themselves ready when it was time to play.’’ Rookie forward Julian Phillips was recalled from the G League and could join the rotation if Donovan wants to expand it to 10 players, Cowley notes.
Imaging on LaVine’s right ankle revealed swelling, but he will accompany the team on a three-game Western trip next week, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
Tonight’s win improved the Bulls to 11-7 without LaVine in the lineup as they’re learning to adjust without one of their main offensive weapons, Cowley states in a separate story. “I think naturally it’s a next-guy-up mentality with this team,” Williams said. “We’ve shown that really over the years, but especially this year. We’ve done a good job of knowing what works, and I think that’s the sign of a good team.”

Zach LaVine To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks With Ankle Sprain

January 19th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls guard Zach LaVine is expected to be sidelined for at least one-to-two weeks after sustaining a right ankle sprain on Thursday vs. Toronto, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Bulls officially confirmed that LaVine will miss at least a week, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

After exiting to the locker room when he initially suffered the injury in the third quarter, LaVine returned to the bench and tried to play through it for a few minutes in the fourth, but was hampered. Further testing on Friday revealed the sprain, says Charania.

It’s an unfortunate setback for the two-time All-Star, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a right foot injury and only returned to action two weeks ago. Now, he’ll be out at least another week or two with an injury on the same foot.

LaVine has been one of the more prominent players mentioned in trade rumors this season, though the three years and $138MM remaining on his contract beyond this season have reportedly suppressed his market value. The fact that he’s injured again just a few weeks before the February 8 deadline almost certainly won’t help matters on that front, either.

When Chicago was struggling early in the season, LaVine faced criticism for his perceived selfish play and that only intensified when the Bulls played pretty well without him (they were 10-7).

However, they’re 5-2 since LaVine returned to the lineup on January 5, with the 28-year-old playing far more of a complementary offensive role in averaging 15.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 5.3 APG on .487/.390/.810 shooting in that span. For context, LaVine has averaged 25.1 points on 18.6 field goal attempts per game over the past five seasons, compared to 15.6 points on 11.1 shots over the past seven games.

With LaVine out, players like Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Patrick Williams could receive more minutes. It’s worth noting, however, that Williams is dealing with a right ankle issue himself and head coach Billy Donovan said it could be an injury that lingers for the rest of the season, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.