(670 The Score) The Bulls could have conceivably pulled off a major trade before Thursday’s deadline involving second-year forward Patrick Williams, who is recovering from an October wrist injury.
But the Bulls and executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas decided to stand pat while maintaining his belief in the 20-year-old Williams, whom he selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Karnisovas sees Williams returning to the Bulls during the regular season and views him as a key addition for Chicago heading towards the postseason.
“He’s working extremely hard during this recovery,” Karnisovas told reporters on Thursday. “At some point, I think you’re going to see him this year. In terms of timeline, we don’t have one for now. We don’t want to put any pressure on Patrick or us to bring him back, but there are a lot of positive things. He’s around our guys. He’s working every day. And I’m glad to see him there on the floor.”
Williams suffered a dislocated left wrist during a game Oct. 28 against the Knicks and was initially given a four-to-six-month timeline for his return.
The Bulls (34-21) are tied for second place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings, this despite injuries to Williams, guards Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist) along with forward Derrick Jones Jr. (finger).
The Bulls are expecting each of these four players to return later in the regular season, barring setbacks to their respective injuries.
“Once we can get Lonzo, Alex, Patrick and Derrick back, I think we’re very competitive in the East,” Karnisovas said.
“My wish list was to get healthy. That’s the primary reasons for us not doing anything.”