NBA reporter Keith Smith of Spotrac spoke to a Chicago Bulls front office executive at Summer League in Las Vegas to get his thoughts on Josh Giddey and Coby White.
Giddey is a restricted free agent, while White has one year left on his contract and is eligible to sign an extension.
“We want to get a deal done with Josh,” the Bulls front office executive said. “He’s as important of a player as we have. We see him as a foundational player for us. I hope we can find a deal that makes sense for us and him and that we’ll be together for a long time.
“The contract is what it is. We probably can’t extend him (White) because the rules don’t allow for us to pay him enough. But we want Coby to be a Bull for a long time. He knows how we feel about him.”
The Bulls missed the playoffs last season. They haven’t made the postseason since 2022.
Giddey and the Bulls are $10 million apart in contract negotiations, according to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Giddey wants to make $30 million annually, while the Bulls have only offered the point-forward a contract paying him $20 million annually.
“No progress has been made between Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls on a new deal in restricted free agency, league sources said,” Siegel wrote. “The two sides met at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where Giddey and his camp made it clear they want a contract similar to that of Jalen Suggs (5-year, $150 million) and Immanuel Quickley (5-year, $162 million) and have not come down from their $30 million annual average value asking price.
“The Bulls have not offered more than a four-year contract in the $20 million per year range. However, the two sides are expected to reunite and negotiate and find common ground on a new deal this summer. No team outside of Chicago has expressed legitimate interest in Giddey due to his contract demands.”
Chicago traded Derrick Rose in 2016 and Jimmy Butler in 2017. The franchise has made the playoffs just two times since trading Rose.
The Bulls lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2017 playoffs in six games and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 postseason in five games.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!