Report: Bulls To Start Josh Giddey At Point Guard Next Season

According to NBA reporter Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Bulls will start Josh Giddey at point guard next season. 

The Bulls acquired Giddey from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Alex Caruso trade. 

“A team source reiterated that the Bulls were all in on Giddey as the primary ball-handler from the moment they acquired him in the Caruso trade with Oklahoma City,” Cowley reported. “They view him as Lonzo Ball-light — a point guard with positional height to not only rebound, but attack the opposing defense with his ability to get the ball quickly up the floor by keeping his own dribble or uncanny outlet passing.”

Giddey averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks in 80 games for the Thunder in 2023-24 while shooting 47.5% overall, 33.7% from beyond the arc and 80.6% from the foul line. He’ll make $8.4 million in 2024-25. 

Giddey has career NBA averages of 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks. He’s eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension this offseason with the Bulls. 

Chicago missed the playoffs in 2024. The team is rebuilding after trading Caruso to the Thunder and DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings. 

The next step for the Bulls is to trade Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, two veterans who are better suited to play for a team in win-now mode. 

LaVine played in only 25 games in 2023-24. He underwent season-ending right foot surgery in February.

A two-time All-Star, LaVine averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 45.2% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 85.4% from the free-throw line.

LaVine signed a five-year, $215 million contract with the Bulls in July 2022. He’ll make $43 million next season. 

Vucevic will make $20 million in 2024-25. The big man averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 48.4% from the field, 29.4% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free-throw line. He had 45 double-doubles in 76 games.