CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 28: Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at the United Center on December 28, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Getty Images
After months of negotiations, Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls have come to terms on a contract for the young point guard. Giddey and the Bulls agreed on a four-year $100 million contract per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Chicago investing this money into Giddey is their latest sign of faith in the fifth-year guard. Giddey arrived in Chicago last off-season after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for former Bulls guard and all-defensive team member Alex Caruso. Chicago traded one of their most valuable assets in Caruso and didn’t seek any draft compensation because of their belief in Giddey’s abilities.
Through his career in Chicago thus far, Giddey has posted averages of 14.6 points per game, and a career high 8.1 rebounds per game and 7.2 assists per game. Giddey showed signs of brilliance last season, as he flashed his ability to be a swiss army knife offensively. His passing ability was a catalyst for Chicago being able to be one of the leading transition teams in the NBA. Giddey is known for his playmaking ability, often throwing pin-point accurate passes on fast breaks and finding his teammates for open looks when he has the ball. These stats and last season as a whole were enough for Chicago to invest $100 million in him.
For Giddey, he has plenty of room to grow as a scorer, as this has been the largest hole in his game throughout his career. His lack of a consistently efficient outside shot in his career has held him back and held his teams back as well. Last season was an improvement for him efficiency wise as he shot a career-high 37 percent from three on four attempts per game, and also posted a career high true-shooting percentage of 57 percent. Giddey showed clear signs of growth last season, but he still has a ways to go to become someone that defenses fear as a scorer.
Most of Giddey’s outside shot attempts are left unguarded due to his reputation for being a poor shooter, and this places a cap on his playmaking as well. In order to take the next step, Giddey needs to show less hesitancy as a scorer, and force teams to have to account for his shot attempts. Last season was a good step toward becoming a more complete offensive player, but he can still improve further.
This contract from Chicago is a clear sign that they believe he can make these improvements within the next few years.