Bulls and Josh Giddey still far apart on money

The Bulls have bumped their offer to Josh Giddey, but it is still nowhere near what the restricted free agent is looking for.

ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks said on YouTube that Chicago opened free agency with a four-year, $80 million proposal and has since raised it to four years, $88 million.

That is progress, but Giddey’s camp has reportedly been eyeing something closer to $30 million per year since extension talks last fall.

As Marks put it, $22 million annually puts him at the “low end of the spectrum for starting point guards.”

“If you think he’s your point guard of the future, then you pay him point guard money,” Marks said, suggesting a deal in the $26-28 million per year range would be reasonable. “Four years, $100 million or $110 million is still good value going forward.”

The clock is ticking. Training camps open later this month and the Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline looms.

Unless the sides find common ground, Giddey may wind up signing that one-year tender and pushing the bigger payday to 2026.

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