Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls have finally ended their dance around the dinner table with a four-year, $100 million contract agreement. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.
Restricted free agency has been dragged out from the summer and into the fall. Cam Thomas agreed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets a week ago while Giddey is now good to go. His deal is fully guaranteed with no player or team options.
Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals last season. He also shot 37.8 percent from three. His momentum surged after the All-Star Break and Zach LaVine trade. From then on, he put up 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists, and shot 50 percent from the field, including 46 percent beyond the arc.
The Australian was selected sixth overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes are the other key restricted free agents still looking to settle their future.
Bulls Appear Stable But Lacking Clarity
Giddey is now set in stone as the team’s starting point guard for at least next season. Coby White has been a solid option as Chicago’s shooting guard. Matas Buzelis and Ayo Dosunmu are decent building blocks. Noa Essengue offers long-term upside.
Still, will the Bulls once again aim for the Play-In Tournament or genuinely embrace the lottery?
Nikola Vucevic appears happy in Chicago but the ideal long-term move is to probably secure an asset or two for him. Even with a wide open East, the Bulls’ talent level doesn’t appear adequate enough to seriously compete.
The upside of this Giddey deal is it appears to be pretty fair value. If the Bulls want a change of direction, there should be teams tempted to take him on at this price.
For now, they can wait and see how much of a flash in the pan his run to end 2024-25 actually was.
