Patrick Williams Resurfaces for Bulls After Being Frozen Out

A week ago, Patrick Williams was frozen out of the rotation — literally DNP'd in one game without injury concerns because Billy Donovan simply chose not to play him. But Williams is thawing amid the Bulls' injury crisis.

On Friday night against the Orlando Magic, Williams responded when called upon and contributed to the win, dropping 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes — his second-highest total this season. He shot a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range in the first half when Chicago trailed.

Despite being benched with largely shortened minutes in late December, Donovan even deployed Williams in the final six minutes, including the last 30 seconds of Friday's close-out. He responded with a crucial steal and mid-range jumper that contributed to the Bulls' 13th clutch-game victory of the season, second-most in the NBA.

Williams has heated up since the Bulls' loss to Minnesota, where he logged just 20 minutes and scored seven points. After combining for only six points during a five-game stretch (four games with single-digit minutes and one DNP), Williams has capitalized on increased opportunities, averaging 11.3 points over the last three games as the Bulls posted a 2-0 run without Josh Giddey and Coby White.

The former fourth overall pick in 2020 had been snubbed when Donovan began deploying two-big lineups, a tactical change that positively impacted Chicago but squeezed Williams out of the rotation. He was DNP'd during the win over Philadelphia on December 26, and his presence consecutively slumped before the Minnesota game when the Bulls lost Giddey and White on the same night.

It's no secret the Bulls are exploring trade options for Williams ahead of the February 5 deadline. He signed a lucrative five-year, $90 million contract with Chicago in 2024, but his output since the extension hasn’t reached what the front office expects. Amid such rumors and pressure, he scored 12 points in Wednesday's win over New Orleans. Donovan called his performance encouraging in the postgame press conference.

"Patrick's had a lot of opportunities earlier in his career, and maybe not as much this year, but with some of the guys that are out, he's going to get that; we need him, and I thought he really contributed in a really good way," Donovan said.

With White, Giddey and Zach Collins sidelined for several more games, the Bulls desperately need Williams to sustain this momentum. His presence will be steadier and more essential as injuries continue testing Chicago's depth. Whether this revival increases his trade value or cements his role moving forward remains to be seen, but for now, Williams is making the most of his opportunity.