Josh Giddey's trade value is difficult to gauge. The 23-year-old, who nearly averaged a triple-double last season, appears to be a core piece of the Bulls' rebuild alongside Matas Buzelis. He also doesn't exactly fit Bryson Graham's "SLAP" mantra and was acquired under the franchise's previous front office.

If Chicago does trade Giddey, it's hard to know what opposing teams would give up for someone who has yet to prove he can be the first or second option on a winning team. An idea circulating on social media features a deal with the Kings that would send Giddey to Sacramento in exchange for the Bulls taking on Zach LaVine's $49 million salary for next season, with the Kings throwing the No. 7 overall pick into the trade as a sweetener.

That idea is ludicrous. The Kings are nowhere near desperate enough to trade a top-10 pick to get off LaVine's contract, much less in a draft as talented as this.

Giddey is a talented player, but his projected value to other teams always seems to be significantly overrated by Bulls fans. So how do we really figure out what Giddey's trade value is around the league? We ask someone outside the "bubble" of the Bulls community and media.

Last week, I sent a message to our Roundtable Sports publishers group chat, asking if any of the NBA writers thought their respective teams would be interested in trading for Giddey. Houston Rockets writer Laci Watson offered me the following proposal:

Here was her reasoning, which she wrote about in a separate article linked here:

"Houston may already have enough individual talent, but their first-round playoff exit made one thing clear: they still lack somebody consistently organizing all of it offensively. Their offense drifted into difficult isolation possessions too often this year, particularly late in games.

Adding a true playmaking connector creates easier looks for everyone else on the floor, from Amen [Thompson] cuts to off-ball opportunities for [Kevin] Durant.

There are some concerns and potential obstacles to keep in mind. Giddey underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle in May, though Chicago expects him ready for training camp. There are also still league-wide conversations surrounding how his game scales in deep playoff environments, particularly involving spacing and perimeter defense.

While the advantage to Houston is obvious, Chicago’s upside might seem to require some defending at a glance, but let’s zoom out. 

If the Bulls are unsure about fully committing long term to Giddey, flipping him for a veteran point guard, future draft capital and added flexibility becomes easier to justify. VanVleet still brings veteran leadership, playoff experience, defensive toughness, and stability to a franchise that’s spent years stuck somewhere between rebuilding and competing."

The Rockets' motivations behind making this deal are pretty clear. VanVleet, while talented, is 32 years old and coming off a torn ACL that forced him to miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. The one-time All-Star and 2019 NBA Champion will likely opt into his player option this summer, which will pay him $25 million and see him hit unrestricted free agency in 2027.

Houston has clearly committed to going all-in after making the Durant trade a year ago. Giddey would help the Rockets get younger by eight-plus years while moving Thompson into an off-ball role.

The question is, why would the Bulls accept this? The 6-foot tall VanVleet is not a "SLAP" kind of athlete at all, and Chicago would be sacrificing their defense-deficient primary ball-handler for an older, smaller player without long-term prospects.

It comes down to asset accumulation for a Bulls team that currently doesn't possess much talent. With Thompson (23 years old) and Alperen Sengun (24 in July) on Houston's roster, it's unlikely the Rockets will have a high draft pick in 2028, even if Durant retires. But with the changing lottery odds, play-in teams will now have an increased probability of moving up in the lottery.

Acquiring as many first-round picks and swaps as possible could be quite beneficial for the Bulls as the NBA moves into its new lottery system, and Chicago may not have another non-Buzelis asset that's as valuable as Giddey.

And while Giddey's points/rebounds/assists numbers look great on paper, VanVleet could prove to be a better game manager who helps develop young forwards like Buzelis, Noa Essengue and projected No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson. VanVleet averaged just 1.5 turnovers per game when he last took the court in 2024-25, compared to Giddey's 3.6 giveaways per game last season.

The Chicago Bulls are not going to be good in 2026-27. Barring an All-Star breakout from Buzelis or an immediate impact from Wilson, they probably won't be contending for a playoff berth in 2027-28 either.

It's up to Graham to determine whether Giddey is a long-term fit for his franchise vision. If the Bulls' new EVP remains committed to his "SLAP" mantra and isn't sold on Giddey, Graham shouldn't hesitate to move off of him and pick up future draft capital in a deal like this.