Josh Giddey, Bulls Reportedly in Contract Stalemate, PG Not Expected to Get $30M AAV

The relatively slow market for restricted free agents has impacted Chicago Bulls playmaker Josh Giddey, who likely is looking at a less lucrative contract than has been rumored for him in the past.

"I don't have particular numbers other than to say that Giddey's $30-million-a-year price tag that's been well-documented in the media—and out there since last fall, when the rookie contract was discussed—has never crossed my radar," K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network said on The Fastbreak Tuesday (1:30 mark). "I've never heard the Bulls mention that number. So I would not expect Giddey to sign a $30-million-a-year deal."

Giddey is one of several high-profile restricted free agents who has yet to strike a deal, joining Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga and Philly's Quentin Grimes. There are a number of reasons for that, from an offseason devoid of teams with the cap space to make competitive offers to external free agents to the cap not rising as high as projected going forward.

That, in turn, means that the incumbent teams have a ton of leverage in contract talks at the moment, and has led to the "stalemate" between Giddey and the Bulls that Johnson described.

The leverage that players like Giddey, Kuminga and Grimes have is that they can simply take the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in a year. But even that comes with the very obvious risk of bypassing long-term security and facing the possibility of suffering an injury next season that mitigates their earning potential on the market.

Giddey, 22, has emerged as a key part of Chicago's future after averaging 14.6 points, 7.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last season, shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three across 70 contests. His assists, rebounds, steals and three-point shooting marks were all career highs.

Ultimately, it would make the most sense for both teams to settle on a long-term deal. But Giddey isn't going to receive the $30 million AAV that has been floated as a possibility in the past.