Following a lengthy standoff with restricted free agent Josh Giddey, the Chicago Bulls and the Australian point guard finally agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal Tuesday.
Giddey reportedly sought an annual salary worth around $30 million, while the Bulls’ initial offer totaled $80 million over four seasons. Still, the two sides met in the middle on a deal worth an average annual salary of $25 million.
Despite agreeing to terms, Giddey has yet to officially sign his new deal. He’s taking a more traditional route, choosing to put pen to paper in person.
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Why Josh Giddey hasn’t signed his new deal yet
According to K.C. Johnson of By The Horns: A Chicago Bulls Show, Giddey is flying in from Australia to finalize the deal.
“He’s technically only agreed to terms; he has actually not signed the contract and here’s why,” he said. “He wants to do it in person. He’s on his way in from Australia and is going to be in the Advocate Center in a couple days, I’m told, to sign the contract in person, which is always a good touch.”
Once signed, Giddey will become the Bulls’ highest-paid player and a centerpiece of the team’s ongoing rebuild alongside Matas Buzelis and No. 12 overall pick Noa Essengue.
After coming to Chicago in a June 2024 trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Giddey impressed during his debut season with the Bulls. He averaged 14.6 points, along with career highs in rebounds (8.1), assists (7.2) and steals (1.2) across 30.2 minutes per game in 70 regular-season outings.
The former No. 6 overall pick also showed remarkable growth after the All-Star break. Over 19 regular-season games during that span, he averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 45.7 percent from beyond the arc in 34.3 minutes per game.
He’ll look to build on his productive finish to the 2024-25 campaign as the Bulls chase a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021-22.
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