Last summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls because he was unwilling to accept a backup role. With Lonzo Ball coming back from injury, the backcourt in Chicago became more crowded, and Giddey was one of the players sacrificing minutes. Now, with the De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine trade, there will be plenty of opportunities for the young point guard. Giddey’s contract ends after this season, and he can negotiate a bigger one with the Bulls.
Josh Giddey Secured a Bag Thanks to De’Aaron Fox Trade
The Chicago Bulls are currently in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, but they would likely love to go further down the standings. The good news for the Bulls is they managed to get their 2025 first-round pick back. That pick was protected 1-10, and if it fell outside of that radius, it would have gone to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Bulls acted as the facilitator in the Fox trade, a team where the other two could send unwanted salaries. That is how they got Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and Zach Collins. Out of those three, only Huerter might have the best chance of staying in Chicago longterm. The Bulls might reroute Jones by the deadline. If they also manage to find a way to unload Ball or agree on a buyout, Giddey will become the de facto point guard of their future.
What Chicago did with the trade was divide LaVine’s salary into three players that they can flip for future assets. Jones is a free agent after this season, while Collins and Huerter make a combined $36.1 million in 2025-26. The Bulls might have created some modest cap space this summer by not taking back longer salaries, but there likely aren’t many good free agents available.
Here are the contracts going out in the SAS/SAC/CHI trade:
To San Antonio
De’Aaron Fox: $34.8M, $37.1M, UFA 2026
*⃣Note: Fox is renegotiation and extension eligible in August
To Chicago
*⃣Note: Jones has a…
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 3, 2025
Instead, what might happen now is they can use the full Bird rights on Giddey and secure him for the long run.
Giddey Can Be Part of Chicago’s Future
Giddey is a 22-year-old point guard who doesn’t have a good outside shot, but he can create for others and gets defensive rebounds. His career averages are 13.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and almost a steal per game. For his career, he is shooting 46.1% from the floor, and 31.4% from behind the arc.
The Bulls are not going to contend for the next few years. With Giddey and Coby White, they have their backcourt of the future. After trading LaVine, they can now invest in their young guards and hope they can develop into stars who can lead the team.
Giddey can negotiate a new contract this summer as a free agent. With not many teams having cap space, the Bulls will be in a prime position to negotiate a larger deal thanks to their Bird rights. Chicago should put its focus on adding to their base of young talent, not chase a play-in appearance. They have several veterans they can trade by the deadline, and open up more opportunities for the future.
Josh Giddey Wants a Five-Year Contract
Immanuel Quickley set the bar for young guards last summer, with a five-year, $175 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. Quickley has been battling injuries this season, but the Raptors signed him to be their point guard of the future.
The Bulls were unwilling to give Giddey that contract in the summer before he spent a season playing for them. With the latest developments, Giddey and Bulls might be made for each other. Quickley might be the better scorer, but Giddey gives you more all-around stats.
He might have to settle for less than Quickley, but the Bulls should do what they can to lock up Josh Giddey with a new contract.
Photo credit: © Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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