Patrick Williams is still waiting for his first real crack in Tiago Splitter’s rotation, even after shaking off a quad injury and carrying a hefty price tag. The former No. 4 overall pick is owed $54MM over the next three years, with an $18MM player option in 2028/29, but he has yet to see the floor this fall.
Splitter said Friday that Williams has handled the situation well behind the scenes.
“I told him during the whole (training) 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 Friday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bulls coach also made it clear Williams’ time should come, even if it is not immediate.
“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.”
Williams, speaking to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, said he and Splitter have a “really good” relationship and that he is staying patient.
“I’m not a bench player. But being a professional is responding when things aren’t going well,” Williams said.
“It’s easy to work hard when things are going well. When it’s not, are you still a hard worker?
I am.
“ … I’ve been around this league long enough to know opportunities always come back around. I’ll be ready.”
Isaac Okoro, meanwhile, says his contract situation won’t change how he plays. The wing can become a free agent next summer unless he reaches a veteran extension before then, but he told Cowley that he’s not spending time thinking about it.
“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.”
Chicago’s rough night in Boston was the other major storyline from Friday, and it got away fast. The Bulls were down 29 at halftime and then gave up 44 points in the fourth quarter in the NBA Cup loss, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
“We’re the Chicago Bulls, and I feel like it’s unacceptable to be losing like we are and laying down that early in the game,” rookie forward Caleb Wilson said.
Wilson doubled down afterward, telling Cowley that he is not willing to let the team drift through games like that.
“I’m 20 and I’ve never been a loser in my whole life so I’m going to try my best to make sure that doesn’t happen, and I’m not ever going to accept being a loser,” Wilson said of trying to will the team back into it in the second half. “This is my job to be a leader on this team and it’s all going to start with me, I know that.
It’s partially my fault that we started off the way we did, whether I’m the youngest on the team or not. I take ownership for that and it won’t happen again.”
In Other News...
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The early weeks of the 2026-27 NBA season have already been rough on a number of title hopefuls, and that kind of injury wave tends to ripple well beyond the teams directly affected. For the Bulls, it has created a potentially useful opening around Norman Powell, whose scoring punch and ability to help right away make him the sort of veteran contenders keep on speed dial when their depth gets tested.
Powell has long looked like a player who could draw interest if Chicago decided to move him, but the timing may be shifting faster than expected. With several teams suddenly dealing with key absences, the market for a ready-made scorer can change in a hurry, and that could put the Bulls in position to explore a deal before the season settles into its usual rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Were Exposed Again By Boston In A Familiar Way
Bostons latest visit to the Bulls brought a familiar script, and it was one Chicago never managed to change. The Celtics rolled to a 125-110 win in Emirates Cup group play, with Jayson Tatum steering the offense and the Bulls again looking out of sorts on both ends of the floor. Chicago never found a steady rhythm, and the issues that have haunted it in tough matchups showed up early and often.
The bigger concern was how quickly the game tilted away from the Bulls, who were forced to chase from the opening stretch after Boston came out with pace and purpose. Shooting, defense and turnovers all worked against Chicago, and the margin only grew as the Celtics kept pressure on every possession. By the time the Bulls tried to settle in, the game had already started to slip into the kind of one-sided loss that leaves a team searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Problem Against Boston
The Bulls head to Boston on Friday with a frontcourt situation that suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did a few days ago. Jalen Smith has been a starter and an important early-season piece, averaging 13.4 points and 8.2 rebounds while helping stabilize the interior, but he is now listed as questionable with a left finger sprain.
Chicago is already dealing with other injury uncertainty up front, with Tobe Awaka and Patrick Williams also on the report. Nic Claxton is out with a hamstring injury, which has put even more pressure on the Bulls rotation in the middle and made Smiths availability a bigger issue than it might seem at first glance. [Read more 🡒]