While the 2024 offseason trade that swapped Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso may have already worked wonders for the reigning champion OKC Thunder, the same sadly cannot currently be said for the other team in the exchange, the Chicago Bulls.
Not only did the Bulls finish this past year with a losing record (39-43) and miss out on the postseason, but they are currently at odds on a price point with Giddey when it comes to retaining his services for the foreseeable future.
After a second-half breakout that saw him average a ridiculous 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.5 steals on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 45.7 percent shooting from deep post-All-Star Weekend, reports started to surface that the 22-year-old was looking for an average pay-day of $30 million per year with his next contract.
Considering his enviable age, top-flight production, and the club's need for a franchise point guard, some could make the case that Giddey earned the right to snag such a deal.
However, three months into free agency, the former Thunder lottery pick remains unsigned and, according to sources, tensions between the two parties are growing to a point where a split could theoretically be a real possibility.
Bulls decision to trade Alex Caruso to Thunder verging on lowest point
Per sources, Giddey has grown rather frustrated with the Bulls over their ongoing contract negotiations this summer. NBA insider Jake Fischer has even gone as far as to say that the current situation between the guard and Chicago is the most "strained" compared to all other restricted free agents in this offseason's class.
"The last I spoke to someone on the phone directly about that situation, the Josh Giddey situation did not seem super amicable," Fischer said.
Considering the fact that he's classified as a restricted free agent, Giddey can't just depart from the organization and sign elsewhere on his own, as a qualifying offer would be extended to Chicago should another team look to attain his services.
Essentially, this means the Bulls hold the right to match any offer sheet he hypothetically could sign on the open market, allowing them the ability to retain the youngster.
Of course, being the two sides are at serious odds when it comes to an acceptable contract figure, perhaps there's a team out there that could be willing to adhere more to Giddey's demands and, in turn, price him out of the Windy City with a lucrative enough offer sheet.
From the Washington Wizards to the Brooklyn Nets, several teams in the association have an abundance of cash at their disposal but are in desperate need of a franchise cornerstone.
Should this standoff between Giddey and the Bulls continue much longer, the likelihood of this relationship souring for good only becomes more plausible. With that, a parting of ways after just one season could realistically be on the table, which, if that were to happen, could make the initial swap of him for Caruso look like an absolute heist of a trade for the Thunder.