Josh Giddey Makes Unexpected Appearance Amid Contract Negotiations

The Chicago Bulls had one of the better post-All-Star break stretches of any team in the NBA, watching backcourt pairing Josh Giddey and Coby White blossom into stars while they had highlight wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. Now in the offseason, the Clippers appear to be prioritizing getting younger.

Even though the team still has Nikola Vucevic on the roster, the team traded away Lonzo Ball to make room for Tre Jones to insert as the backup point guard. In addition, they added an intriguing prospect in Noa Essengue in the first, who could pair well next to Matas Buzelis. However, the team has yet to agree to a new deal with Josh Giddey, making his recent appearance rather unexpected.

Josh Giddey is in Las Vegas, but has noticeably been absent from both Bulls games at Summer League. Several veterans just sat courtside here. Certainly seems like an indication that negotiations between the point guard and Chicago are not trending in an amicable direction.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 13, 2025

NBA Insider Jake Fischer shared that Giddey is, in fact, in Las Vegas, but has not been present with the other team veterans courtside during the games. As mentioned by Fischer, that could very well be an indication that negotiations aren't going well between Giddey and the Bulls, with the two sides reportedly not seeing eye-to-eye.

The reports appear that Giddey is keen on landing a deal in the $30 million per year range, eyeing a contract similar to that of Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs. Despite averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game after the All-Star break, it appears as though it wasn't enough for Chicago to budge at Giddey's asking price.

Josh Giddey's camp is reportedly looking to get him a deal similar to the one Jalen Suggs signed last fall. Story: https://t.co/09zXBM4jAj
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 5, 2025

While it seems unlikely that Giddey will end up on another team to start next season, a possibility that Bulls fans would likely not want to see is Giddey accepting the qualifying offer to give himself leverage and become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. After giving up All-Defensive star Alex Caruso for Giddey last offseason, they'll surely not want to lose him for nothing.

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