The Chicago Bulls traded for Josh Giddey in June 2024. They sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the trade. Caruso and the Thunder went on to win the NBA championship this season.
During a recent interview on the “Ball Magnets” YouTube channel, Giddey shared his thoughts on seeing his former team hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
“I genuinely hope if the Bulls don’t win it, I hope the Thunder win it cause I’m close with the guys,” Giddey said.
Giddey was originally drafted by the Thunder. He joined the team as the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The playmaking guard spent three seasons with the Thunder before being re-routed to the Bulls for the 2024-25 season. During his time with Oklahoma, Giddey averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists, shooting 51.8% from 2-point range and 31% from 3-point range.
Having assumed a bigger role with the Bulls, Giddey improved on all of those averages this past season. Now, Chicago is trying to lock him down to a new contract. However, that is proving to be more difficult than initially thought.
Bulls and Giddey Still Locked in Contract Talks
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, negotiations between the two camps have enjoyed a “good dialogue.” However, it would appear that neither side has made much headway in actual contract discussions.
“Bulls and Josh Giddey are having good dialogue, per a source, but the Giddey camp is dug in on the Suggs contract – $30 million per. Let the posturing continue,” Cowley reported via X.
Giddey is a more complete player than Jalen Suggs. He impacts winning across the board. However, the Bulls will likely be looking at the current free agency market as an indicator of his current value. If no other teams are driving up the asking price, Giddey may need to lower his expectations to meet Chicago somewhere in the middle. Perhaps an agreement at $25 – $28 million could work for both parties.
Giddey and Bulls Remain Apart in Negotiations
During a recent free agency breakdown, ESPN’s Bobby Marks shared some insights into the current situation between the Bulls and Giddey.
“Josh Giddey, I’m going to say, I said this on SportsCenter, in the last 10 years, we’ve had five players sign qualifying offers. And what the qualifying offer does is it’s a one-year contract, and then you become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Because it’s a one-year contract, you have full authority on any trade. So you have veto power on trades. The problem is that if you approve a trade and you are traded to that team, you will lose your bird rights…I made a joke during our production meeting, that they’re about the Gulf of Mexico apart.”
Chicago undoubtedly wants to keep Giddey with the franchise. He’s shown all the skills necessary to be a cornerstone talent. However, a new contract must make sense on both sides. The Bulls need to ensure future cap flexibility to continue rebuilding the current rotation.
Nevertheless, it’s likely that Giddey and Chicago eventually reach an agreement. Unfortunately for Bulls fans, there may be some more tough negotiations before that happens.
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