Former lottery pick is playing a dangerous game in free agency

When the Chicago Bulls swapped Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey last summer, it felt like they'd been taken advantage of. 

Caruso made an immediate impact for the Oklahoma City Thunder, helping them secure a 2025 NBA championship. Fans were rightfully questioning why Chicago didn't push to receive some draft capital as part of the deal.

However, fast forward to the present day, and it's clear that Giddey is the perfect building block for Chicago's rebuild. He's a three-level scorer, a fantastic rebounder and the sort of pass-first playmaker rarely seen in the modern game.

Unfortunately, it would appear that Giddey is more than aware of his value to the Bulls. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Giddey's camp has stood strong on its desire to secure a $30M-per-year deal for its client this summer. Chicago, on the other hand, reportedly values him closer to the $20M mark.

“Back to Giddey and the Bulls: Chicago’s front office has no shortage of experience when it comes to waiting out a restricted free agency market,” Fischer reported. “This time, Giddey’s representation has not wavered in its pursuit of a $30 million annual salary, sources say, while the Bulls’ offers have been much closer to $20 million.”

There's nothing wrong with knowing your value. The problem arises when you don't understand that value is subjective, and in the NBA, the open market often dictates what teams are willing to pay. Unfortunately for Giddey, that's where he's going wrong.

He's entered restricted free agency in a summer where cap space is scarce around the NBA. There's no competition for his services. Therefore, there's no leverage or bargaining power for Giddey's camp in contract negotiations. 

The only thing they can threaten is that he will opt into his qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Yet, in doing so, he gives the Bulls a year to re-negotiate or trade him elsewhere. Either way, Chicago will walk away with something to show for its time. 

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has made no secret of his desire to retain Giddey long-term. He has a home in Chicago for as long as he wants it. And considering coach Billy Donovan is willing to give him a starring role, it would be foolish of him to price himself out of such a rare opportunity.

Giddey isn't doing anything wrong by trying to maximize his earning potential. But, by allowing negotiations to drag on beyond Summer League, he's overplaying his hand. Hopefully, his representation knows what it's doing. 

Otherwise, things could backfire for the talented young guard, and he could be left scrambling to find a situation as good as the one he's already in.