As we approach the middle of August, Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls remain apart in their contract negotiations.
According to Jake Fischer, who was writing via an August 10 edition of the Stein Line Newsletter, “multiple Eastern Conference teams” have registered their interest in Giddey’s services this summer.
“Sources say Giddey has managed to attract some external interest from rival teams since free agency began, with multiple Eastern Conference teams contacting Giddey’s representation to register sign-and-trade interest,” Fischer wrote. “Yet it’s likewise true that more than one rival front office has indicated a reluctance to try to engage the Bulls in sign-and-trade discussions, sources say, with Chicago having messaged for some time that it is not eager to discuss such scenarios.”
As Giddey is an unrestricted free agent, the Bulls have a significant amount of control. However, if Giddey continues to hold out, he may see value in opting into his qualifying offer. Should the impressive playmaker opt to go down that route, he will become an unrestricted free agent next summer, thus removing all of Chicago’s control in the situation.
Warriors Unlikely to Push For Giddey Trade
In the same report, Fischer noted that the Golden State Warriors remain keen on Giddey. However, he noted that, as things currently stand, there doesn’t appear to be a pathway to a double sign-and-trade that would swap Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga.
“I’m told that the Warriors continue to value Giddey’s skillset and have communicated their interest to the Australian point guard’s representation,” Fischer reported. “There simply does not appear to be a feasible pathway to such a trade … not right now. The base-year compensation issue alone makes it challenging before we even get to the limited salary-matching and outgoing player flexibility that Golden State is currently facing.”
Whether the Bulls would be open to that type of player swap is unknown. However, if the franchise was going to trade Giddey, Kuminga would arguably be the strongest return they could get on the market.
Bulls Are Keen to Re-Sign Giddey
When speaking to Keith Smith of Spotrac at NBA Summer League, a member of the Bulls front office discussed the team’s desire to re-sign Giddey long-term.
“We want to get a deal done with Josh,” The executive said. “He’s as important of a player as we have. We see him as a foundational player for us. I hope we can find a deal that makes sense for us and him and that we’ll be together for a long time.”
Giddey joined the Bulls last summer as part of the trade that sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has immediately proven himself to be a key part of the franchise’s future. As such, if his contract negotiations drag on much longer, there’s a legitimate chance the front office will look to meet him closer to the $30 million per year that he’s reportedly holding out for.
Giddey’s contract negotiations with the Bulls has become one of the sagas of the summer. Hopefully, those negotiations can come to an end in the near future. After all, the Bulls need the future star to help spearhead the franchise get back to the top.
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