Just six weeks away from the Bulls' 2025-26 season-opener against the Detroit Pistons, Chicago's contract standoff with Josh Giddey is finally over.
ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania reported on Tuesday afternoon that the Bulls had agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal to stay in Chicago. The point guard spent much of the offseason in contract purgatory, but as the October 1 deadline to agree to the qualifying offer neared, the two parties have now reached a deal to keep the 22-year-old in Chicago through the 2028-29 season.
The deal is reportedly fully guaranteed and has no player or team options.
Giddey, who turns 23 on October 10, is coming off his best season in the NBA. After falling out of the Oklahoma City Thunder's playoff rotation in 2024, the Bulls acquired Giddey in a trade involving Alex Caruso, whose defense helped lead OKC to its first championship this summer.
It was a career year for Giddey, whose 14.6 points per game ranked third on the team among season-long Bulls. The fourth-year guard also set career-highs with 8.1 points, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
The 6-foot-8 Australian became a critical piece of Chicago's roster as the season progressed, despite a slow start. Giddey exploded after the All-Star break and the Zach LaVine trade, averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game, but his most impressive jump was the shooting leap. The point guard went from shooting 44.6% overall and 34.5% from three before the midseason pause to 50% from the field and 45.7% from deep after it.
But despite the incredible rise, the Bulls did not appear willing to reward Giddey with a big-time contract based on the 19-game sample size. For much of the offseason, Chicago was reportedly aiming for a deal in the range of $20 million per year, while Giddey's camp wanted upwards of $30 million. The two sides eventually met in the middle with a contract that averages $25 million over the next four seasons.
According to Spotrac, the proposed average annual value for Giddey's new contract would tie him for the 23rd-highest salary for an NBA point guard. The deal puts him on par with the Rockets' Fred VanVleet and pays Giddey less money per year than the Raptors' Immanuel Quickley, the Celtics' Derrick White and the Pelicans' Dejounte Murray.
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