The Chicago Bulls have been haggling with free agent Josh Giddey since last offseason, but the end to the saga is in sight, one way or another. The Bulls' latest reported proposal is a four-year deal in the $85-to-$90 million range, and now it's up to Giddey to accept it or settle for a one-year qualifying offer.
The two sides have been far apart since negotiations began, which was shortly after Chicago landed Giddey in a trade that sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Where he proceeded to immediately win a championship.) It's safe to assume the franchise didn't deal one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA for a 22-year-old floor general to watch him walk a year later.
Giddey has been after a long-term deal worth at least $30 million annually. The Bulls have been offering $20 million per season.
There seems to be an obvious compromise between 20 and 30, but so far neither party has budged enough to find it. Perhaps until now.
The Chicago Bulls have offered Josh Giddey new terms
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Bulls have approached Giddey with a four-year contract worth $85 million to $90 million.
That report was corroborated by ESPN insider Bobby Marks, who put the number at $88 million over four years.
Siegel added that it's "likely the last contract proposal the Bulls will offer this offseason," as it's a compromise between what they'd like to spend and what Giddey desires. Even so, Marks isn't sure that's the number Chicago should be passing to someone so critical to the franchise.
"If you think that he’s your point guard of the future, then you sign him to what point guard money is,” Marks said (h/t HoopsHype). “And I’m not saying you sign him to Immanuel Quickley money at $32.5MM (per year) or five years, $160MM. But you sign him in that $26-28MM (per year range) and you do it for three years or four years. And if it’s four years, $100MM or four years, $110MM, it’s still good value going forward."
Marks isn't wrong. Neither are the Bulls, and neither is Giddey. The organization holds most of the leverage since no other team has the available cap space it will take to sign the Aussie at that $30 million mark. But Chicago needs Giddey; letting him walk would be catastrophic to a rebuild that is only crawling out of the starting blocks.
Both player and franchise need each other to settle, and they have three-and-a-half weeks to do it.