The Chicago Bulls have a potentially franchise-altering decision to make on 2024 offseason trade acquisition and starting point guard Josh Giddey, who is in the final year of a four-year, $27.2 million contract. It could cost them in several ways down the road.
That is the scope that NBA insider Zach Lowe viewed Giddey’s future with the Bulls.
In a veritable direct response to Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas, Lowe said Chicago needs more than regular-season stats from Giddey.
The Bulls traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Giddey last summer, and the veteran guard has continued his strong play, putting the onus on his old team.
“Caruso is doing this on the highest level of professional basketball,” Lowe told Bill Simmons on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on May 21. “For the Bulls to end up, in three years, saying, ‘Hey, that trade worked out just as well for us,’ Giddey is gonna have to do some of this stuff on a really high level of basketball.”
“It’s cool that you average 28 and 8 in March and April when half the East is tanking,” Lowe said. “That’s cool. I’m not saying it’s meaningless. He shot the three well this year, but it’s got to happen with some real stakes at some point.”
Giddey’s deficiencies were magnified in the playoffs, which is partly why the Bulls were able to acquire him.
Artūras Karnišovas Touts Josh Giddey, Bulls’ 2nd-Half Surge
GettyJosh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates a game-winning three-pointer with Coby White #0 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Bulls were 17-28 against opponents with winning records, which is an indictment on the team as much as Giddey, who is a restricted free agent this offseason.
However, Giddey also got off to a slow start that belies his closing surge.
The former No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists with 1.1 steals, a .490 effective field goal percentage, and a 31.9% three-point clip over his first 39 appearances with the Bulls. They were 17-22 in those games.
Giddey posted an 18.9/9.1/7.9 line, 49.6% eFG, and 1.4 SPG over the final 31 games of his first season with the Bulls. He also connected on 43.8% of his deep looks during the latter stretch.
The Bulls went 16-15 in those contests, leading Karnišovas to double down on Giddey.
“I think when we’re targeting him in trade last year, I think with our style of play and how we’re going to be playing this year, I think with that in mind, I thought that when he came in and try to fit in, and how we started the year, he was looking how he can impact the game and, obviously, new teammates,” Karnišovas told reporters in April.
“Following All-Star weekend, I think he just found completely new gear and averaged 21, 11, and 9. He actually rebounded better than Vooch [Nikola Vučević], which is hard to do. So, he found a niche, he found a belief in himself. Obviously, this group, they found another gear. Whether that being Coby [White], Josh, even Matas [Buzelis] with his new role. So, I think he [Giddey] fits really well here, and I hope to see him here for … years to come.”
The Bulls will have the right to match any offers Giddey receives in restricted free agency. An extension would avoid any uncertainty.
Bulls Still Have Hope
GettyJosh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Simmons said that he still is a fan of the Bulls trade, though his reasoning was rather one-sided in favor of OKC.
“I still love that trade for both teams. I think Giddey for Caruso is one of the most fun trades of the last five, six years. Perfect trade for both teams,” Simmons told Lowe. “All the stuff Caruso is doing on OKC is wasted on a 41-41 Bulls team. This is where he should be. Good trade.”
Lowe fell somewhere in the middle on the deal and offered an encouraging potential outlook.
“I didn’t like it for the Bulls as much as you [Simmons] did, but I also thought the Bulls got too much flak for that trade,” Lowe said. “Bulls could be four or five series next year. Who knows?”
Early projections have Giddey seeking a contract paying at least $30 million annually. Of note, the Bulls just spent the past two-plus seasons trying to rid themselves of Zach LaVine and are in precarious territory with Patrick Williams coming off another underwhelming season.
Williams received a five-year, $90 million deal in restricted free agency in 2024.
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