The Chicago Bulls and restricted free agent point guard Josh Giddey remain mired in negotiations regarding the 22-year-old triple-double machine’s next contract — which an insider believes could have serious ramifications for both sides.
Giddey — like his fellow restricted free agents Golden State Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga, Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes — finds himself in a precarious situation.
He believes he is owed major cash for what will be his second NBA contract after a solid inaugural season with Chicago. But only one team — Brooklyn — even has the cap space approaching the amount he is seeking.
Chicago, Giddey’s protracted conversations could jeopardize future of both parties
The Bulls have reportedly offered the 6-foot-8 Aussie a four-year, $80 million deal, reports K.C. Johnson of CHGO Sports.
“The Bulls do have a long-term offer on the table… believed to be in the neighborhood of $20 million/year.”
On the latest episode of The Fastbreak, @KCJHoop dives into the Bulls’ contract negotiations with Josh Giddey ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zQjLZw1c78
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) August 19, 2025
Giddey and his representatives are still angling for something that will pay him in the range of $30 million a year, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (via Substack).
Ian Goodwillie of Hoops Habit writes that the fact that Giddey and Chicago are reportedly $10 million apart in what they’re expecting out of an annual salary could have deeper ripple effects on both their outlooks.
For Giddey, the longer these negotiations drag on, the more the possibility of him just taking his $11.14 million qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency next summer becomes a possibility.
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For Chicago, the team is clearly worried about repeating its obvious mistake of overpaying former lottery pick forward Patrick Williams to the tune of a five-year, $90 million contract during the 2024 offseason.
Of course, losing Giddey — already a far more appetizing player — for nothing in free agency next year would also be disastrous.
In 70 healthy bouts for the Bulls on the last year of his expiring rookie-scale contract, Giddey averaged 14.6 points on .465/.378/.781 shooting splits, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks a night.
Zooming in, his numbers enjoyed a significant uptick following the team’s trade of former two-time All-Star swingman Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline. Across the 24 games he played following LaVine’s February 3 trade, Giddey averaged 20.2 points on a .495/.457/.803 slash line, 9.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks a night.
But he put up those great numbers at the end of the year. With plenty of NBA clubs resting players in anticipation of major postseason minutes or the draft, stats can get inflated for available players on non-contending teams. It’s unclear just how good he can be in a situation where the games matter, which may be the source of the disconnect.
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