NBA insider predicts Chicago Bulls won’t break bank for star RFA

Reports have surfaced all year about what Josh Giddey might get from the Chicago Bulls. The five-year, $150 million deal Jalen Suggs got was looked at as a good reference. Then, reports suggested that he might land a contract north of $30 million. The Bulls were never expected to back down from the asking price.

NBA insider Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report predicted that the final contract won’t actually be that bad. He did admit that “Giddey caught fire after the All-Star break, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists across his final 19 games of the season.” He also admitted that it’s the Bulls, a team not known for playing it smart in free agency.

“They handed restricted free agent Patrick Williams a five-year, $90 million deal (with a player option on the fifth season) last summer, despite no market forces necessitating an expenditure that ridiculous,” he said. “In a sense, this is a wager that Chicago will act rationally. And yes, it’s uncomfortable to take that stance. But the Bulls have to know nobody is coming in over the top with a huge offer sheet for Giddey, who has never been a major factor on a winner and whose defensive shortcomings are a major red flag.”

Giddey won’t have much competition. At a certain point, the cost might be so low that other teams want to get in, but there’s a range of salaries to go through before that happens, and the Bulls can probably stay under $30 million, giving them a little more flexibility down the line, whether to add talent or to move off of Giddey if things go south.