Bulls’ ex-staffer rips old front office for years-long failure to see Patrick Williams wasn’t next Kawhi Leonard

The Chicago Bulls have turned the page with a new leadership group led by head coach Tiago Splitter and executive Bryson Graham, but a recent report from ESPN’s Jamal Collier has provided new insight into the evaluation process that defined the franchise’s previous regime.

According to Collier, one former Bulls staffer criticized the previous front office for clinging to comparisons between Patrick Williams and Kawhi Leonard long after it became apparent Williams was unlikely to develop into that caliber of player.

“It took probably three or four years for them to come off of the, ‘Well, he could be Kawhi,’ statements,” the ex-staffer told ESPN. “Those things continued to linger even after Patrick pretty demonstrably proved that he was not going to be Kawhi.

“That was an unfortunate way to kick things off.”

The comparison carried enormous expectations. Leonard has built one of the most decorated careers of his generation, winning two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards and two Defensive Player of the Year honors while earning six All-NBA selections, seven All-Defensive Team selections and establishing himself as one of the league’s most dominant postseason performers.

Old Bulls regime’s Kawhi Leonard vision for Patrick Williams never materialized

Williams, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has never approached that level of production. He completed his sixth NBA season with career lows of 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 37.2% from the field, 34.7% from 3-point range and 72.0% from the free-throw line across 72 games, including six starts.

Despite his struggles, Williams remains under contract. He is entering the third season of a five-year, $90 million deal worth approximately $18 million annually and includes a player option for the 2028-29 season.

The criticism adds to a growing list of questions surrounding Chicago’s previous front office. The same ESPN report revealed the former regime repeatedly cited the Detroit Pistons as a reason to avoid tanking, even though Detroit has since reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and finished 60-22 as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed in 2025-26.

Combined with the prolonged belief that Williams could become the next Leonard, the revelations paint a clearer picture of the decision-making that shaped the Bulls’ previous era before the franchise pivoted to Splitter, Graham and 2026 No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson. Chicago is now hoping its new leadership and young core can succeed where the previous regime fell short.

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