The Bulls and restricted free agent guard Josh Giddey are having “good dialogue” during the first week of free agency, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
However, according to Cowley, Giddey’s camp is “dug in” on matching the contract extension Jalen Suggs signed with Orlando last fall.
Reports since October have continually cited an asking price of $30MM annually from Giddey and his reps. Several of 2024’s top rookie scale extension candidates were seeking that same per-year salary at the time, and Suggs and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson ended up at exactly that figure, signing five-year deals worth $150MM apiece.
Giddey didn’t do anything to hurt his case for a big payday in 2024/25. After an up-and-down start as he got acclimated to his new NBA home, the 22-year-old had a huge second half, posting averages of 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.5 steals with a shooting line of .500/.457/.809 in his final 19 games, 12 of which were Bulls victories.
Giddey’s full-season averages were 14.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 7.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG on .465/.378/.781 shooting. Several of those marks, including the three-point percentage, were career highs.
Still, while Giddey had a strong first season in Chicago and looks like the Bulls’ point guard of the future, he and several of the other top restricted free agents on the market may have a hard time maximizing their earnings this summer with so little cap room available around the league. With no other potential suitors in position to realistically get up to the neighborhood of $30MM per year for Giddey, the Bulls have a good amount of leverage and can afford to be patient.
The Bulls’ front office may also be wary of bidding against itself for Giddey after completing a five-year, $90MM deal with former lottery pick Patrick Williams when he was coming off his rookie contract last summer. Chicago reached that agreement before free agency even opened, then saw Williams’ production take a step backwards in the first year of the contract.
Please Bulls stay patient. Wait it out. Bulls have all the leverage. Please don’t sign anything more than 4 years and $100 million. Anything less than that would be a huge win for the franchise and would help make up for the horrible contract situation that Patrick Williams has.
And what if he’s the real deal? In that case, you would want him for all 5 years. If he’s a proper star and can be a player of Cunningham’s calibre, but you can have him on 30 mil per, as opposed to Cade’s 53mil, then you’d be in a very good position financially.
He made it look easy in the last 20 games he played. Some might call him soft, but usually it’s the best players who make the game look easy. He even said it in the recent interview that he tried to stay away from being around the rim too much, not to injure his ankles, as he knew he was about to sign a contract. Getting 10.7 rebs a game as a guard who’s playing tentatively, that’s impressive.
3-5 years from now, 30 million is what average role players will be making.
Para que un jugador se le pague eso deberia mostrar dos años seguidos teniendo buenos numeros para confiar en el
El Queso es viejo y podrido Donde esta el sanaterio?
@Josh65 En la NBA, no. Aquí, juegas una buena temporada, o incluso media temporada, y te pagan. Sobre todo si el tío es un high lottery pick con proyección, como Giddey.
Stats accumulated during the last 20 games of the season, when half the league is actively tanking and playing G-leaguers, are almost worthless.
Paying Giddey $30M per is committing the Bulls org to the play in for the next 3 years.
“Stats accumulated during the last 20 games of the season, when half the league is actively tanking and playing G-leaguers,”
And the other half is actively fighting for playoff spots and seeding. Discount it all you want but over the last 25 games, Giddey had 20.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 8.1 apg on .491/.451/.801 splits. His season numbers were very good as well and he’s only just turning 23. Failing to lock him in because they previously made a bad decision on Patrick Williams. . .now *that* would commit the Bulls to the play-in, if they’re lucky.
The last 20 games of the season should never be what you base your decisions on.
IF they start it high to low 25 to 30 M a year is very very nominal imo to the negotiations considering where Chi’s cap sheet currently sits . Much different sitch than GSW/Kuminga
If I was Chi Id give the 30 (frontloaded AAV) in favor of a 5th year team option –
Giddey would actually get more than 30 AAV here over 4 years guaranteed -Abouts 126, then Chi would have a 5th yr option around 24M a potential steal in 2030
Idk, its been awhile since that front office has done anything smart tho lately. That be my hope tho
They can offer three or five year deals.
Quickley contract contract is what’s driving the market ….
He is a RFA…no team has cap space like that. Bulls would be bidding against themselves.
Its like you might hurt yourself long term with players refusing to work out for you, or FA avoiding you if you leverage a player into a contract thats disrespectfully low. Like Giddy for 4/40M, but otherwise these guys have no leverage.
What has Giddey done to deserve a big contract?
The team that traded him just won a championship.
What does OKC being a stacked team have to do with Giddey’s performance?
Them becoming a better team without him?
What are you talking about. Winning is not important, stats are. /s
Empty stat type of player. Not a winner, also diddles kids.
you are moronic, he was 19 and the girl 16-17
that’s not “diddles kids”
Giddey does have some leverage. He can take the one deal with the bulls and become a non restricted free agents next year.
Terrible leverage and Stupid option to take QO
Financial Disadvantage
Limited Security
Become a bench guy, less minutes, less stats
They had $ to throw around last year and F’d up. Should’ve never given Williams a contract
He ain’t Suggs or Jalen Johnson. I wouldn’t pay him as much as either of those two players.
You’re so right, he’s way better than Suggs.
Ha! He could be better if he played some D.
The smart way to use leverage is on the margins for a good deal done quickly. Over leveraging a position almost always comes back to haunt in a competitive market.
If 30 mm a year is a reasonable number (and its at least close), and he’s important to the franchise going forward, then use it as the baseline for a deal. It’s stupid to squeeze him just because you can, to make up for Williams or create some uber team friendly deal (with some very unfriendly under currents).
The comments here are wild. Look, Giddey is a good player, and really talented offensive player, but offers little in the way of defense outside of grabbing some boards (which is not nothing to be fair). I don’t know that he’s worth 30 mil annually, but he’s not going to get that in this market regardless. That said, if he signs for just one year, and wants to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, there will be more teams, presumably, with cap space to lay some more attractive offers down. It would be easy to see him having another fine season.
I mean he’s a bad defender but at least he offers size for the position.
“Playing defense” is a particular topic. Alex Sarr “played defense”, had blocks and stuff, but was an absolute net negative out of possession.
Grabbing rebounds is a big deal. There’s a reason why all advanced stats love guys who grab rebounds so much. Also, simply not being small and not being a target is already a good start. Many backcourt players don’t have that luxury. And Giddey is a positive presence inside his own paint, IMO. He’s not prime Ben Simmons, sure, but a positive.
Also, he increased his drawn fouls/goal attempts ratio, especially in that final stretch, and that’s a big deal. Even the most unimpressive defenders like Austin Reaves often have good advanced defensive stats because they draw fouls, which allows their team to settle and prevents easy buckets against them early in the clock.
Giddey had 5.4 FTA per game in that final stretch, which is probably the best development in his game. He had 1 FTA per 2.5 FGAs, which is almost SGA’s ratio. On a lower volume, obviously.
I think it all comes down to context-
Bulls have about 105 M in cap next year minus whatever they pay Giddey
Okoro 12
Tre-8
PWill-18
JSmith-9
Buzzlis -6
Noa- 6
Less than 60 M under contract guaranteed
Cap next year 165
Giddeys agent has the juice here
In like GSW where the number is bumping into an apron JK’s number is going to be hard for his agent to juice. GSW HAS to apply a squeeze here if at all possible for anything they can
lol Suggs isn’t worth 30m, he shouldn’t be Giddey’s blueprint but the horror scenario that prevents Bulls from making the same mistake.
But Orlando is good (when healthy, which admittedly is not always the case), and the bulls are not. I would much rather be in Orlando’s position than Chicago’s.
Only issue in his game is consistency (and defense to an extent). The Williams contract was idiotic to begin with, so hesitating because of it is the next idiotic thing to do. Right now he’s the star player on that team. For $30M it seems to be a bargain these days.
Would love to see a sign and trade Giddey to Sacramento and fill that point guard hole they have. Chicago can then play Coby at his preferred spot at the 1 and then bring in a Malik Monk plus a first or something like that
Quickley and Suggs have set the market. Giddey isn’t worth less than them. If Bulls aren’t sure give him a three year deal. Then you can still move him. Like Rockets did Green …..
“ In 2024-25, Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. He had a particularly strong second half of the season, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game.”
Giddey has the potential to be a triple double threat. And has positional size as a true PG. At 22 he still has upside. Imo he is better than Quickley. But Quickley is overpaid. If I really want him. I give him 5 yrs 150 mill. If not sure I give him 3 yrs 80 mill.
Quickley signed for 5yr — 175 mill
Suggs signed for 5yr — 150.5 mill
If I was Nets I sign him for 5yrs 150 mill.