The Chicago Bulls aren’t expected to make any significant noise come playoff time, even if they manage to snag a play-in spot. This season has shown that Chicago is leaning toward a rebuild, having finally jettisoned Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. They will also likely let go of Nikola Vučević during the summer. So, if the Bulls are restarting, where does that leave shooting guard Josh Giddey? The Bulls chances of keeping him might be challenging. Considering Giddey’s excellent season, he’s likely to have other suitors. How does he feel about it, though?
Bulls Guard’s Impending RFA Status Not Getting In His Way
Chicago Bulls Guard Josh Giddey Admits Free Agency Is On His Mind; Not Playing With Any Preconceived Ideas
Giddey is coming to the end of his first season with the Bulls after starting his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was beginning to create a name for himself in OKC, playing big minutes, but the Thunder needed to address their defense last summer. That led the team to trade Giddey to Chicago for defensive specialist Alex Caruso. For each player, the trade has worked out well. Carusoe has been a stable piece of the Thunder’s defensive scheme and fits in well. As for Giddey, he’s one reason why the Bulls might have a shot at the play-in.
Giddey’s strong performance this season also bodes well for him come the offseason, when he enters restricted free agency for the first time in his NBA career. His value has increased, there’s no doubt there, and Giddey is more than aware. He recently admitted to something we don’t often hear from NBA players: he’s thinking about it. Giddey spoke to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times about being a future RFA and how it’s impacting his game in the present.
‘‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it. Every player in the league thinks about it, but I don’t let it impact what I do on the floor. I don’t come out here with any preconceived ideas of how I want to play or the numbers I want to put up to earn X amount of dollars or whatever it may be.’’
Increasing Value In All the Right Places
In a league where the three-point shot reigns supreme, anytime a guard who plays significant minutes can improve his long-range shooting, that player is moving in the right direction. It is the three-point shot that Giddey has improved the most on this season. His 37% is a career-high, building on last season’s 33%, then a career-high also. Giddey is shooting the three more confidently than ever, which only helps his stock. Last season, he averaged 25 minutes a night, whereas this season, he’s seen his minutes increase to 29 per game. It’s important to note that his efficiency has not dipped since coming to Chicago. Giddey averages 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Additionally, he’s made improvements in a new category: steals, of which he averages 1.1 per game. He’s never averaged more than one per game.
While the Bulls were unable to reach a rookie-scale extension agreement with Giddey, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will exit Chicago this summer. The Bulls will have the chance to match an offer sheet from another team if they so choose. It was reported that Giddey’s representation was seeking $30 million for five years. This mirrors the deal Jalen Suggs received from the Orlando Magic. Sugg’s deal was what Giddey’s team was going off of.
