A reported disagreement over the 2020 NBA Draft has added another layer to the Chicago Bulls’ decision to move on from Arturas Karnisovas. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that multiple Bulls scouts and most of the draft room preferred Tyrese Haliburton, but Karnisovas settled on Patrick Williams with the No. 4 pick and did not view Haliburton as a serious prospect.
According to Cowley, a source indicated that Karnisovas did not believe Haliburton would rank among the top four players on Chicago’s roster at the time. Haliburton ultimately became a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, while Williams has averaged 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists over six NBA seasons.
The statistical difference became apparent quickly. Haliburton averaged 13.0 points and 5.3 assists as a rookie in 2020-21, then increased his production to 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game in 2022-23. He followed that season with 20.1 points and 10.9 assists in 2023-24, earning his first All-Star selection and All-NBA Third Team honors.
Williams, meanwhile, has never averaged more than 10.2 points in a season. His best scoring season came in 2022-23, when he averaged 10.2 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 46.4% from the field and 41.5% from three-point range.
Haliburton’s five-season numbers through 2024-25 were 17.5 points, 8.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range. He also made the All-Star team in consecutive seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and earned All-NBA recognition in both seasons.
His rise was particularly significant in Indiana. Haliburton helped the Pacers reach the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and then led them to the 2025 NBA Finals, where Indiana pushed Oklahoma City to seven games. He suffered a torn right Achilles tendon early in Game 7, ending his postseason and keeping him out for the entire 2025-26 season.
That trajectory makes the reported 2020 evaluation especially consequential for Chicago. The Bulls selected Williams fourth overall, while Haliburton remained available until Sacramento selected him 12th, meaning Chicago had eight opportunities to select him before the Kings made the move.
The timing is also significant because the Bulls completely reset their basketball operations in 2026. Chicago fired Karnisovas and Marc Eversley in April before hiring Bryson Graham as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4, while Billy Donovan also departed.
The new front office is now building around Josh Giddey, Williams, Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue and fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson. Chicago went 31-51 in 2025-26, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference, 29 games behind the 60-22 Detroit Pistons.
