Dan Favale of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Chicago Bulls will sign Josh Giddey to a four-year, $96 million contract, proving that the Oklahoma City Thunder traded him at the right time. Not only did they land Alex Caruso in the deal, who is now an essential part of their core, but they also landed one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA.
“Writing for The Stein Line, NBA insider Jake Fischer divulged that the Chicago Bulls have offered Josh Giddey a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $80 million,” Favale wrote. “The 22-year-old, however, continues to seek $30 million per season. Meeting in the middle feels fait accompli.
“The 22-year-old does not have another suitor dangling the money he wants. We'd have heard about it by now. While that gives the Bulls a ton of leverage, they're not about to squeeze their young floor general to the point he signs his qualifying offer and heads into unrestricted free agency next summer. Bet on this ending with a four-year deal that sees Chicago come up a little bit and Giddey moving off his initial ask in exchange for flexibility at the end of the contract. Prediction: Josh Giddey re-signs with the Bulls on a four-year, $96 million deal, with a player option on the final season.”
How would Josh Giddey contract have hurt Thunder?
The Thunder are on top of the NBA world right now. They just won their first NBA Championship in franchise history and have gotten to work on extending their core. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren all inked new extensions to stay in OKC for a long, long time.
Now, they have a chance to establish a dynasty. With those three guys, Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and others in town for a while, they have elite depth, incredible star power, and an amazing coach in Mark Daigneault.
For years, the Thunder hoarded draft assets and made a ton of selections, taking swings at potential stars. Giddey was a part of that group, and for a moment in time, he looked like he’d be a part of the Thunder’s resurrection.
But it quickly became clear that he wasn’t an ideal fit. And in one fell swoop, Sam Presti made the decision to swap him out for Caruso—a trade that earned the Bulls some criticism at the time.
Obviously, Giddey is a very talented player, and he had a solid season for the Bulls last year. But if he signs the contract Favale predicts he might, it could look ugly.
And at the very least, it will prove that the Thunder traded him at the right time.