Josh Giddey Seeking $30 Million Annual Salary From Bulls
Chicago Bulls restricted free agent Josh Giddey wants a five-year, $150 million deal similar to Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs. That would give him $30 million per year.
Giddey “wants to get a deal done to stay in Chicago,” but his camp and the Bulls are “somewhere between $8 million to $10 million per year apart,” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported last month.
The gap isn’t closing anytime soon.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Bulls made their first offer when free agency opened, but Giddey quickly turned it down.
“League sources say that the Bulls made an offer of $80 million over four years to restricted free agent Josh Giddey when the offseason commenced on June 30,” Fischer said.
That’s just $20 million annually – far below what Giddey wants.
“Giddey, of course, is seeking an annual salary in the $30 million range. Chicago has been anchored in the $20 million range in annual value ever since its original offer.”
Warriors No Longer in the Mix
The Golden State Warriors were recently mentioned as potential suitors for Giddey. There were whispers about a possible dual sign-and-trade involving Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga.
That’s not happening.
“The Warriors are not actively pursuing Giddey this offseason, team sources from both organizations confirmed,” Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported Monday.
The logistics would be complicated anyway.
“Aside from salary rules and restraints coming into play with a double sign-and-trade, this hypothetical scenario would also hard cap the Warriors. This would be a problem considering Golden State has made it clear they want to maintain financial flexibility,” Siegel added.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Warriors have had “zero interest” in trade offers for Kuminga from the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.
The Giddey-Kuminga rumors might have just been leaked to create leverage during both players’ contract negotiations.
Giddey’s Rising Value
Giddey, who turns 23 in October, is heading into his fifth NBA season. His stats make a pretty strong case for a big payday.
In 70 games last season (69 starts), he averaged 14.6 points with career highs of 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
The 6-foot-8 guard shot 46.5% from the floor and a career-best 37.8% from 3-point range. He ranked 20th in the league in defensive rebounds (439) and 10th in assists (503).
He nearly averaged a triple-double over his final 19 games – showing just how valuable he can be.
The Bulls acquired Giddey in the trade that sent fan-favorite Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The market for restricted free agents has been ice cold this offseason. Teams are worried about the harsh penalties for exceeding the first and second salary cap aprons, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Giddey signed a four-year, $27.21 million rookie contract in August 2021. He earned $6.58 million in 2023-24 and $8.35 million last season.
Now he’s looking for a massive raise. Will the Bulls pay up or let another team make the call?
