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Jamal Collier, ESPN
Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams will have season-ending surgery on his left foot, the team said Friday.
Williams has been sidelined since Jan. 25 with what was initially diagnosed as acute bone edema. Subsequent imaging revealed the injury worsened to a stress reaction.
Williams, 22, was in the midst of a contract season and will become a restricted free agent this summer if Chicago tenders him a $12,973,527 one-year qualifying offer.
It had already been an up-and-down season for Williams, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NBA draft out of Florida State. He played in 43 games (30 starts) and averaged 10.0 points and 3.9 rebounds on 44.3% shooting (39.9% from 3).
It’s the second injury-shortened season for Williams, following a broken wrist that limited him to just 17 games in 2021-22.
In his four years in the league, Williams has averaged 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Losing Williams is the latest injury blow for Chicago. The Bulls were already without guard Zach LaVine, who underwent season-ending surgery on his right foot in February. Torrey Craig will be re-evaluated in two to four weeks after he sprained his right knee while working out during the All-Star break. Lonzo Ball hasn’t played in two seasons with a knee injury.
A roster thinned by injuries has put even more pressure on DeMar DeRozan and Coby White, who are Nos. 1 and 2 in the NBA in total minutes played, respectively.
The Bulls are ninth in the Eastern Conference at 26-30 following a loss to NBA-leading Boston on Thursday night.
Information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks was included in this report.