Between Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, and Cam Thomas, restricted free agency this summer has been a dramatic affair. In Chicago, while the Bulls may have increased their offer for Giddey, ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks noted that it still falls short of matching their deal for Patrick Williams.
“So when you dig around the Josh Giddey situation, who had a terrific year, certainly the last 25 games, he was offered four years, $80 million when free agency started, that number has gone up to four years, $88 million,” said Marks. “That number is at the bottom of the starting point guards. So, if you’re the Bulls and you just committed five years, $90 million to Patrick Williams based on a lesser body of work, now you’re all of a sudden drawing a line in the sand as far as where you are with Josh Giddey.”
Giddey, 22, is reportedly seeking roughly $30 million per year from the Bulls, which would put him in the salary range of guys like Derrick White and Tyler Herro. To his credit, Giddey is one of the Bulls’ best two-way players, and at just 22 years old, he believes the best is yet to come.
In 70 games for the franchise last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game on 46.5% shooting. He was a steady hand at multiple positions, providing a boost on both ends of the floor after three seasons in Oklahoma City.
Somehow, despite his versatile skillset, the Bulls aren’t willing to pay him what they offered Patrick Williams. Williams is on a $90 million deal despite averaging a modest 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 39.7% shooting. The 2024-25 campaign saw Williams match or surpass career lows in several categories, including points, rebounds, and field-goal percentage.
Whether it’s something behind the scenes or simply an adoration for Patrick Williams, the Bulls are clearly looking beyond the numbers when it comes to determining Giddey’s value. The question is, how will this standoff end?
With training camp approaching and the Bulls lacking any real superstar talent, they need guys like Giddey to help them keep up with their competitors. At the very least, this ordeal threatens to disrupt an already fragile locker room that lacks experience, chemistry, and a winning culture.
For a team that went 39-43 last season (10th in the standings), this isn’t the kind of situation that will help turn things around. For the sake of stability and retaining their most talented players, the Bulls might want to reconsider their approach to the Giddey contract negotiations.
If not, like Jonathan Kuminga, the 6’8″ swingman could work his way out and pursue his desired contract with another team. As a former sixth overall pick, losing Giddey for nothing would be a major blow to the Bulls, and if they can’t agree to terms, it could set them back even further.
Only time will tell how the situation ends, but Giddey doesn’t seem willing to settle for anything less than his asking price, and if the Bulls don’t comply, things could get ugly in this ongoing standoff.
