Josh Giddey hit restricted free agency one year after the Chicago Bulls traded for him and after a really stellar close to the season. It has not yielded the $30 million contract, as the Bulls, according to a report, are well below that salary in contract negotiations. It is still a stalemate, partly because the Bulls don’t seem willing to go too high.
Chicago Bulls’ salary idea for Josh Giddey revealed
Josh Giddey hoped that he could sign for $30 million annually in restricted free agency, but despite his excellent second half and a weaker free agent market, nothing has gone his way. No one except Chicago has been interested, and they’re not interested in meeting his demand.
CBS Sports analyst James Herbert said that this is part of a larger lid on the RFA market. Giddey isn’t the only one who’s not getting any traction, but his situation is an interesting one given the 2024 trade. “Typically, when a team acquires a player a year before he becomes a restricted free agent, it does so with the intention of keeping him,” he said.
Giddey had seen his role with the Oklahoma City Thunder diminish greatly in the 2024 playoffs, so it was fair that he wasn’t extended immediately after the deal like Alex Caruso was. “After putting up big numbers in the second half of the season, Giddey must expect his bet on himself to pay off,” the analyst added.
Several reports indicated that he wanted somewhere around $30 million per season, but Herbert revealed that the Bulls have stood pat, only offering much closer to $20 million, a more team-friendly salary. “It is possible that, a year after re-signing forward Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract that looks disastrous, Chicago has decided it’s time to play hardball,” he said.
The Bulls made a huge mistake bidding against themselves last year with Patrick Williams, so perhaps the front office learned. They could’ve easily caved and made the same exact mistake with Giddey, but so far, they haven’t, and it doesn’t look like it will. That’s good for the Bulls, but it’s certainly not ideal for Giddey.
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