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Bulls Not Anticipated to Pay Free Agent Josh Giddey Rumored Salary

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 1:07 PM ET

The Chicago Bulls have been fairly inactive in free agency this summer.

Chicago began its offseason by selecting two players in last month's 2025 NBA draft, former Ratiopharm Ulm forward Noa Essengue (the No. 12 pick at the end of the lottery) and Illawarra Hawks power forward/center Lachlan Olbrich (the No. 55 pick).

The Bulls' only free agency move to date was re-signing point guard Tre Johnson on a three-year, $24 million contract. Chicago's backcourt remains bizarrely crowded.

For now, Johnson would serve as the Bulls' third or fourth guard, behind starting point guard Josh Giddey (more on him later) and starting shooting guard Coby White. Ayo Dosunmu is Chicago's other projected backup guard.

But do the Bulls really want to commit $8 million annually to someone who'll barely play? Or will Chicago move on from one of these players?

Giddey, a 6-foot-8 pro with plenty of passing and rebounding ability for his position, hit restricted free agency this summer.

Per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, the number projected for a Giddey signing isn't quite at the initial $30 million annual salary that had been rumored as the 22-year-old's hoped-for salary.

“I don’t have particular numbers, other than to say that Josh Giddey’s $30 million per year price tag – that’s been well documented in media and out there since last fall when the rookie contract extension was discussed – has not ever crossed my radar," Johnson said. "I’ve never heard the Bulls mention that number. So I would not expect Josh Giddey to sign a $30 million deal."

Beyond the Brooklyn Nets, no other team has the cap room to sign Giddey outright. Could he be brought in via a sign-and-trade elsewhere? Potentially, but there aren't a lot of destinations that make sense at the sticker tag he wants.

In 70 regular season bouts for the Bulls last year, Giddey averaged 14.6 points on .465/.378/.781 shooting splits, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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