CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn has published two front office power rankings editorials this year—once after the trade deadline and again following the NBA Draft and free agency. In his first list, Quinn ranked the Bulls' front office dead last at 30th, even in the wake of the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic and shaking the NBA world.
In Quinn’s second rankings, he slotted the Artūras Karnišovas-led front office at 29th, ahead of only the New Orleans Pelicans. That low bar came after Joe Dumars and Co. made a string of head-scratching moves, most notably trading up to draft Derik Queen 13th overall at the cost of the 23rd pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder.
Going from 30th to 29th may technically be progress, but it underscores just how low the Bulls’ front office ranks in perception league-wide. Chicago has been routinely blasted, and the groans were audible across Lake Michigan when ownership extended the contracts of Artūras Karnišovas and GM Marc Eversley.
Re-signing Giddey to an $100 million contract is praiseworthy
However, after navigating Josh Giddey’s restricted free agency with unexpected competence—arguably better than teams in similar situations, like the Nets with Cameron Thomas, the Warriors with Jonathan Kuminga, or the Sixers with Quentin Grimes—the Bulls’ front office has begun to earn newfound respect.
It wasn’t even Giddey who made this deal happen; it was the Bulls. Unlike Brooklyn, which let Thomas kick the can by signing his $5.9 million qualifying offer (a decision that could backfire badly), Chicago showed urgency as training camp loomed. And, for once, that urgency paid off.
Moreover, the deal itself is a steal for the Bulls: four years, $100 million to keep Giddey. Sure, skeptics will grumble that $25 million per season is too rich for a player who’s never made an All-Star team. Yet, $30 million, not even $25, is the going rate for starting point guards around the association.
Giddey isn’t your typical floor general. At 6-foot-8, he’s a passing whiz and a nightly triple-double threat. He’s also shown real improvements across the board, from defense to three-point shooting, areas that had been legitimate concerns earlier in his career.
NBA insider Jake Fischer shed light on the league's perception of Giddey's new pact, stating, "[Giddey's contract] has been regarded around the league as a pretty team-friendly deal," before also pointing to salary cap strategists' approval, sharing, "I think cap strategists around the league are looking at this as a pretty strong value deal for the Bulls as well."
After years of missing the mark, Chicago’s front office may finally be turning a corner. A real plan is emerging. The Bulls are prioritizing youth and doubling down on an identity that delivered unexpectedly solid results last season.