Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey finished the regular season impressively, and the team seems eager to re-sign him as a restricted free agent this summer.
Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas told reporters on Thursday during his end-of-season press conference, “I think he`s a great fit here, and I hope he`ll be with us for many years.”
Karnišovas further stated, “I have a really positive feeling about Josh and his future in Chicago.”
This sentiment isn`t unexpected. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey last June, and the 22-year-old guard is coming off his most productive period. Even considering his increased playing time towards the end of the season, his late-season performance was truly remarkable:
Josh Giddey, 2024-25 Per-36 Stats
| PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3PT% | TS% | USG% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 50 games | 15.1 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 44.6 | 33.7 | 53.8 | 20.0 |
| Last 20 games | 22.1 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 50.0 | 47.1 | 62.4 | 24.3 |
Karnišovas mentioned that Giddey was initially trying to “fit in” at the start of the season but “found a completely new level” after the All-Star break. Giddey echoed this in his own end-of-season media session, saying he felt able to “play freely and be himself” after the trade deadline.
Normally, Karnišovas indicating the team`s desire to retain Giddey wouldn`t be particularly noteworthy. The Bulls traded Caruso for him with the intention of re-signing him, and his season`s progression has been encouraging.
However, in context, it`s interesting, and for some Chicago fans, a little concerning. Giddey`s strong late-season performance could mean re-signing him will be more expensive than initially anticipated. Last summer, the Bulls signed Patrick Williams to a five-year, $90 million contract that now seems like an overpayment. Could a 20-game hot streak earn Giddey a maximum contract?
It likely shouldn`t, especially with the Brooklyn Nets being the only team projected to have significant salary cap space this offseason. But it remains to be seen where Chicago will draw the line. While Giddey has increased his value, overpaying him would exemplify the frustrations surrounding the Bulls` current situation.
On Wednesday, for the third consecutive season, Chicago`s season ended with a play-in tournament loss. “I believe we are on the right track,” Karnišovas told reporters on Thursday.
Karnišovas repeatedly stated their aim to “shorten the timeline” of what he termed the “transition” phase. He acknowledged trading Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine in the past year, but emphasized the goal is a “faster turnaround” by “targeting young players with experience” rather than rebuilding from the ground up. This includes Giddey, whose playing time decreased in last year`s playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his playmaking abilities in transition, he`s still not considered a major threat for pull-up or spot-up shots in half-court sets.
Currently, building an Eastern Conference play-in team is relatively easy for an NBA front office. Bulls fans concerned about Giddey`s next contract fear it will lock them into continued mediocrity, particularly if the front office intends to build around a backcourt of Giddey and Coby White. (White is eligible for an extension this summer, but Chicago can only offer him a maximum of four years and $89 million.) Based on recent events and Karnišovas` remarks, these concerns appear justified.
Jasper Hawthorne