2021 Draft Pick Re-Signs with Chicago Bulls
The 2024-25 season can be described as a career resurgence for Josh Giddey. The former sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for a Chicago Bulls team, one of the hottest second-half teams in the association this season. Today, it was reported that he re-signed with the Bulls on a four-year $100 million deal. Giddey was traded to the Bulls from the Oklahoma City Thunder last June for Alex Caruso, a move that has helped both teams. Giddey spent three seasons in Oklahoma City, averaging 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in over 210 games played with the Thunder.
The six-foot-eight guard is a two-time NBA Rising Stars selection at All-Star weekend and has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month four times in his career. In his second season, he averaged 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, becoming only the eighth player in NBA history to average those numbers in his second season in the league. In his third season, he shot a career-best 47 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the free-throw line. Giddey also became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 19 years old. The native Australian helped the Thunder secure the number one seed in the Western Conference in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Giddey averaged eight points, three rebounds, and two assists in the playoffs. The Thunder were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks.
In the offseason, Giddey was traded to Chicago for Caruso. The Thunder cited that Giddey’s playmaking style did not mesh with their current roster and wanted to add another defensive piece. The Bulls, in return, got a two-way guard still on a rookie contract. Josh Giddey has flourished in his time with the Bulls, playing in 70 games and helping the team clinch a spot in the Play-In Tournament. The 22-year-old entered free agency for the first time as a restricted free agent, as the deadline to extend his rookie contract had passed. This meant that Giddey could have negotiated with other teams, and the Bulls had the right to match any contract that he got from another team. Instead, the Bulls lock down Giddey for the next four years.
