Team context: Chicago Bulls · Research cutoff: July 18, 2026.
Role and baseline
Williams played 72 games but started only six, averaging 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.3 threes in 20.5 minutes. He shot a career-low .372 from the field. Basketball-Reference Bulls page
He remains under contract at $18 million for 2026-27, but the roster now prioritizes Buzelis, Wilson, Swain, and Essengue. A July depth analysis named Williams as a possible odd man out; it was an opinion, not a transaction report. Basketball-Reference contracts · Sports Illustrated, July 2, 2026
Conditional 2026-27 projection
| Base team Min | Conditional GP/MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 42/12 | .405 | .735 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
If he wins a role, his minutes come from Okoro/Miller/Essengue within the same 240-minute pool.
Fantasy fit
- All redraft formats: undrafted; wait for a trade or a confirmed 24-minute role.
- Dynasty: low-value change-of-scenery stash in very deep leagues only.
- Strengths: threes plus some defensive events when engaged.
- Weaknesses: FG%, low usage, weak rebounding, and uncertain organizational priority.
Range and triggers
- Floor: out of the rotation or salary-dump trade.
- Ceiling: 20 minutes with 7/3, 1.3 threes, and one combined stock—still fringe fantasy production.
- Watch: camp rotation, any salary-matching trade, and whether last year's shooting was injury-related.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Florida State, one season (2019-20): 9.2 PTS / 4.0 REB / 1.0 AST on .459/.320/.838 in 29 games, all off the bench — ACC Sixth Man of the Year and ACC All-Freshman. Draft: 2020, Round 1, Pick 4, Chicago Bulls.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 19 | CHI | 71 | 27.9 | 9.2 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.8 | .483 | .728 | 1.4 |
| 2021-22 | 20 | CHI | 17 | 24.8 | 9.0 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | .529 | .732 | 0.9 |
| 2022-23 | 21 | CHI | 82 | 28.3 | 10.2 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 | .464 | .857 | 1.2 |
| 2023-24 | 22 | CHI | 43 | 27.3 | 10.0 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.4 | .443 | .788 | 1.3 |
| 2024-25 | 23 | CHI | 63 | 25.0 | 9.0 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .397 | .723 | 1.4 |
| 2025-26 | 24 | CHI | 72 | 20.5 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | .372 | .720 | 1.0 |
| Career | — | CHI | 348 | 25.7 | 9.0 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.2 | .438 | .762 | 1.2 |
Durability: 71, 17, 82, 43, 63, 72. The two short seasons were structural: a dislocated wrist requiring surgery in October 2021 (17 GP) and season-ending left foot surgery in February 2024 (43 GP). The last two years he has been mostly available — the problem is the play, not the body.
Trajectory: Six seasons in, the No. 4 pick has never topped 10.2 PPG, and his FG% has fallen four straight years (.529 → .464 → .443 → .397 → .372) while his minutes and starts eroded. The record shows a low-usage 3-and-D forward whose defense never quite carried a shrinking offensive game. In 2026-27 he competes for backup forward minutes behind Buzelis and Chicago's younger wings; he becomes fantasy-relevant only if a trade or injury hands him a 24-plus-minute role and the shooting rebounds toward his .443-or-better pre-2024 levels.
Career sources: ESPN career stats · Wikipedia
Open questions
- Does the new front office view him as recoverable or merely a contract to move?
- Can his defense earn minutes ahead of Okoro or Miller?
- Is there any realistic path back to 25-plus minutes in Chicago?