Patrick Williams' contract status carries no weight with Bulls regime

BOSTON – The groin injury that sidelined Patrick Williams the last week was in the past. His days of being a continual DNP (Did Not Play) Coach’s Decision were not.

That doesn’t mean Bulls coach Tiago Splitter doesn’t see value in the No. 4 overall pick from the 2020 draft, letting him know to stay ready. Staying ready, however, and seeing playing time as a rotation piece are two very different conversations.

“I told him during the whole camp and before we started the games he was doing a great job, he was forcing his hand and making my life difficult because he was doing a good job,” Splitter said on Friday. “He’s got to stay ready. His moment is going to come. You can’t just switch rotations every day. You’ve got to stick to something and evaluate, see how the young guys are doing. He’s going to have time to play and there will be changes made throughout the season, so he’s ready to go.”

Unfortunately for Williams there’s a handful of players in front of him that are not only ready to go but have proven more with this new coaching staff. Rookie Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis are the starting forwards, while Isaac Okoro, Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue are the backup forwards Splitter has been using.

That line Williams is waiting in is only about to get longer when Nic Claxton (hamstring) is able to make his Bulls debut. That means Jalen Smith becomes the back-up five/four, adding to the logjam in the frontcourt.

And yes, Williams might be the highest paid of all that group at $18 million a year through the 2028-29 season in which he will undoubtedly pick up his player option, but that has no influence with the new front office or coaching staff.

Splitter was asked if there had been any conversations with executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham in which the coach was told that Williams had to be looked at for minutes just because of the contract he was carrying, and Splitter replied, “No, we never had that conversation.”

Crafty veteran

Okoro doesn’t need to be reminded that he is in the final year of a deal in which he makes $11.8 million this season, admitting that it’s not something that weighs on his mind or influences the way he takes the court each night.

Yes, he can be a valuable trade asset come February if the front office wants to move him but his mindset was that’s a concern for another day.

“It’s my seventh year in the league,” Okoro said. “I know what comes with it. I know every time I step on the court I’ve got to play my game. I have to do what I do best. There’s no, ‘Oh it’s a contract year so I’ve got to go out and shoot 10 threes a game, I’ve got to be ball dominant.’ Like no, I’ve been in the league this long being who I’ve been. So anytime I step on the court it’s about playing hard, being competitive, try and lead the team the way I can. You got to focus on the Chicago Bulls and how can we get wins, how can we get better.”

Training room

Rookie Dailyn Swain was unavailable against Boston, dealing with soreness, according to Splitter.

“We decided to not have him playing, nothing serious,” Splitter said of Swain, who was not in the rotation mix anyway this season.

Claxton continued ramping up his activity during the morning shootaround and the hope remained getting him in practices on this current road trip.