NBA Insider Shares Details on Josh Giddey’s Contract Offer

Late last month, Johnson confirmed that Giddey and the Bulls have a mutual interest in staying together long-term, but they aren’t close to agreeing on a salary just yet.

“The Bulls do have a long-term offer on the table, believed to be in the neighborhood of $20 million a year,” said Johnson. “It’s well-documented that Josh Giddey and his representatives are seeking in that $30 million range.”

Across the league, the Golden State Warriors are in a similar position with Jonathan Kuminga. The two parties haven’t come to a conclusion on a multi-year contract, which led the Warriors to consider sign-and-trade options for the veteran forward. Chicago is not expected to explore that kind of option.

“The Bulls traded Alex Caruso to acquire Josh Giddey,” Johnson added. “The Bulls liked the way Josh Giddey played basketball for them. They are just putting a price tag that is indicative for his market on the table. They want Josh Giddey in a Bulls uniform long-term. I still see this reaching a positive conclusion.”

The 22-year-old former first-round pick played in 70 games for the Bulls last season. He made 47 percent of his shots from the field, and averaged 38 percent from three. Giddey produced 14.6 points per game, while coming down with 8.1 rebounds per game, and dishing out 7.2 assists per game.

The worst-case scenario for Chicago in this situation would be having Giddey take on the qualifying offer. In that case, they’ll pay him $11 million with a risk of losing him next summer as he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Since there is a mutual interest in getting a long-term deal done, it seems common ground could be found well before the early October deadline. For the time being, Giddey remains a free agent with ties to Chicago.