The agreement on a four-year, $100 million contract for Josh Giddey marked the definitive conclusion to a long-simmering transformation within the Chicago Bulls franchise. Fans had waited for weeks as negotiations played out and the restricted free agent deadline approached. The deal secures the 22-year-old guard as the team’s lead playmaker and, more importantly, declares a new identity for the organization. That identity began to take shape earlier in the year but wasn’t fully revealed until a seismic roster move set the plan in motion. The Giddey signing is the final piece of a strategy that began when the Bulls traded away star guard Zach LaVine.
This agreement completes a deliberate two-step plan by the Bulls’ front office. Giddey’s arrival in a June 2024 trade that sent defensive specialist Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City was initially met with skepticism. At the time, Zach LaVine remained the team’s primary scorer, and Giddey — benched by the Thunder in the postseason due to redundancy with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — didn’t appear to have a clear role. Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas bet on Giddey’s potential, but that bet required a fundamental change in the roster that only LaVine’s departure could create.
That change came in February 2025, when LaVine was traded to the Sacramento Kings in a multi-team deal. Chicago received Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and — most importantly — full rights to its 2025 first-round draft pick. Fans and media panned the return as underwhelming, frustrated by the lack of an extra first-round pick for a two-time All-Star. Yet the trade was a pivotal shift away from clinging to a flawed core and toward rebuilding with financial flexibility and future draft control. It was the necessary first step in reshaping the team.
LaVine’s exit cleared the way for Giddey to assume the role the Bulls envisioned. Freed from a secondary position, he immediately thrived. Over the final 23 games of the season, he averaged 20 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists; in the last 20 games, those numbers rose to 21.4, 10.7, and 9.1. With the ball in his hands and the offense built around his playmaking, Giddey unlocked a new level of creativity and aggression. The Bulls closed the season winning 15 of their final 20 games, a surge largely driven by his breakout.
This transformation validated the front office’s gamble. Trading Caruso for a player benched in Oklahoma City looked bold at the time, but Giddey’s near quadruple-double against the Lakers — 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and 8 steals — proved the vision correct and justified a long-term commitment.
Negotiations over the offseason reflected a more disciplined front office. Early reports suggested Giddey’s camp sought roughly $30 million annually, while the Bulls initially countered near $20 million. The eventual four-year, $100 million deal, averaging $25 million per season, struck a balance that satisfied both sides and kept the contract well within market value. For Chicago, it was a patient, calculated move — far from the overpays of past deals like Nikola Vucevic’s extension.
With Giddey locked in, the Bulls now have a defined blueprint for their future. He joins Coby White, 2024 lottery pick Matas Buzelis, and 2025 rookie Noa Essengue as foundational pieces. The LaVine trade and Giddey signing have reshaped not just the roster but also the team’s offensive philosophy.
The Bulls’ bet on Giddey is a bet on a collaborative, less ball-dominant system. His chemistry with Coby White was especially promising; after the All-Star break, the two formed what was dubbed the NBA’s second-best backcourt, complementing each other’s strengths in a way they couldn’t when they were playing in the shadow of Zach LaVine.
Here’s the thing, folks: The commitment to Giddey now brings with it new questions. The front office now faces the complex financial decision of whether it can, or should, retain both Giddey and White for the long term, especially after reports surfaced that some personnel figures believed it was unlikely they could keep both. The team must now continue to craft a roster that best enhances the skills of Giddey and Matas Buzelis, the two players seen as the long-term faces of this retool. The Giddey signing gives the organization a four-year runway, a clear timeline by which this new core must produce results and prove the front office’s vision a success. In the end, the story of Josh Giddey’s four-year, $100 million contract is far more complex than a simple transaction. It is the story of a franchise that finally made a courageous decision to turn a new page.
With that… The trade of Zach LaVine, once seen by many as a disappointing and confusing move, now looks like the bold and necessary first step in a strategic two-part plan. The LaVine trade allowed for the unhindered development of Giddey, and Giddey’s subsequent breakout provided the irrefutable on-court evidence that led to his long-term contract. The team’s strategic direction is no longer murky, no longer tethered to a previous era of failed ambitions. It is now defined by the young, dynamic, and recently-committed presence of Josh Giddey. The future of the Chicago Bulls, for the first time in a long time, has a clear face, and a clear vision.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!