NBA Rumors: Josh Giddey Seeking $30 Million Annually In Bulls Contract Extension
The Chicago Bulls may not be expected by the national media to do a whole lot in the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season, but the team did recently receive a jolt of good vibes with the return of Lonzo Ball from a prolonged injury absence. Ball joins a restructured and crowded Bulls backcourt that features Coby White, Zach Lavine, Ayo Dosunmu, and Josh Giddey, who was acquired this offseason for Alex Caruso via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Giddey is entering the fourth and final year of the rookie contract he signed with the Thunder in 2021 and is eligible for an extension, but it remains unclear whether Chicago will opt to extend him now or wait for him to hit unrestricted free agency at this season’s conclusion.
Now, more light is being shed on just what a potential extension may look like between Giddey and the Bulls.
“Josh Giddey is said to be seeking at least $30 million in AAV in his next deal, sources said, although the Bulls appear more keen on evaluating Giddey through this first season in Chicago before committing that type of money to the Australian playmaker,” reported The People’s Insider Show on Threads.
Bulls insider KC Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reported a similar sentiment on X, formerly Twitter.
“Biggest piece of business left is extension/no extension for Josh Giddey by Monday’s deadline. Gap remains in talks, per source, and Bulls’ recent history has been to let season play out to help set valuation. (i.e. Coby White, Patrick Williams),” reported Johnson.
What is Josh Giddey’s value?
Josh Giddey profiles as one of the more unique younger players in the NBA. His fit with Oklahoma City was always a tad questionable, especially after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ascended into the MVP candidate he is today.
Giddey needs the ball in order to be impactful on the offensive end of the floor, as his three-point shooting still leaves quite a bit to be desired, and the Thunder were obviously inclined to let Gilgeous-Alexander handle it the majority of the time that both were on the floor.
However, at 6’8″, Giddey is already one of the best passers in the league and showed flashes of being more aggressive as a scorer during his preseason appearances with the Bulls, something that could pay dividends this season as Chicago looks to embrace a youth movement in the wake of DeMar DeRozan’s departure from the franchise.