(670 The Score) As the Bulls have been connected to Jazz star center Rudy Gobert in the rumor mill, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago had a note to emphasize.
“I know this franchise remains high on Patrick Williams,” Johnson said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Thursday morning. “That’s not to say Patrick Williams is untouchable (in a trade), don’t get it twisted, but I just know they think there’s a lot of upside to Patrick Williams as well.”
That’s a key point to remember as the Bulls ponder how to improve this offseason. Despite inconsistency and injury woes last season, the 20-year-old Williams remains a building block for the team’s future. That’s why Johnson believes the smoke around the Bulls and Gobert isn’t all that serious – at least yet. Williams would presumably have to be in any trade for the Bulls to obtain Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he doesn’t think Chicago is all that willing to let go of Williams, who averaged 9.0 points in 17 games last season and flashed his two-way potential at times.
So while the Bulls have reportedly expressed preliminary interest in Gobert, most of the discussion is external – on Twitter, for example.
“At this stage, that’s kind of where the debate exists,” Johnson said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s being seriously considered throughout the league right now, but you got to stay on it and monitor it.”
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