The Chicago Bulls have had a relatively quiet offseason as they work to reach an agreement with restricted free agent Josh Giddey.
The 22-year-old and Chicago seemingly remain far apart in contract negotiations, though the Bulls still hold a fair amount of leverage, as few teams have the available cap space to offer Giddey his desired salary of around $30 million per year.
The Bulls reportedly offered Giddey a four-year, $80 million deal in June, which he declined. He has also had discussions outside of Chicago, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“Sources say Giddey has managed to attract some external interest from rival teams since free agency began, with multiple Eastern Conference teams contacting Giddey’s representation to register sign-and-trade interest,” Fischer wrote.
MORE: Bulls could explore trade market for underwhelming $90 million forward
However, Fischer also noted that rival front offices have been hesitant to work with Chicago, with the Bulls making it clear they would rather not entertain sign-and-trade offers.
Giddey could still accept his $11.1 million qualifying offer and play out the 2025-26 campaign before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Bulls can’t meet his asking price but refuse to pursue a sign-and-trade, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Giddey bet on himself.
The 6-foot-8 point guard was productive last season, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals across 30.2 minutes per game in 70 regular-season appearances. He also improved his shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down a career-best 37.8 percent of his three-pointers.
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