Chicago Bulls passing on NBA Finals star in 2020 labeled worst mistake

Bleacher Report insider Matt Velazquez said it was their worst pick in a decade, “He’s not a star, but he’s not a slouch, and plenty of players like him have had long careers. If Williams had been a mid- to late-first-round pick or a second-round selection, his impact would represent good value for the Chicago Bulls. But Williams was the No. 4 overall pick in 2020, and—fair or not—with that higher pick comes higher expectations.”

Picking fourth is usually the area where teams are looking for potential stars, and as decent as Williams has been, he’s not a star. “If Chicago had wanted to take a big swing at a potential star—a big ‘if,’ considering we’re talking about the mired-in-mediocrity Bulls—Tyrese Haliburton was there for the taking,” he added. “The do-it-all playmaker inexplicably slid to 12th on draft night, but he’s proved to be one of the top two players from that draft class alongside No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards.”

Getting the second or, at worst, third-best player from a draft class at four overall would be good value. It is also a much better situation than taking perhaps the seventh or eighth best player at the fourth pick. It’s better value and it probably leads the Bulls to a very different future. They may not be in the NBA Finals now, especially considering Haliburton’s original team traded him anyway, but things certainly would be different.