Josh Giddey has been in restricted free agency for the entire offseason and not only have the Chicago Bulls not offered him an extension, but he has also yet to receive much attention at all from any other team around the league. The Bulls acquired Giddey last offseason when the Oklahoma City Thunder did a player-for-player swap with him and Alex Caruso. The Thunder needed to move on from on Giddey because he simply didn't fit, and with the Bulls, he found a little more success as a primary ball handler.
Giddey had an extremely successful season, and it seemed that the Bulls would want to extend him to a long-term deal. Based on how the market has not offered him a contract, it may be a sign for Chicago to not extend him long term. Here's a pros and cons list to inking Giddey to a new deal.
Why the Bulls should extend Giddey
Giddey had by far the best season of his young career. When entering the league, he was built to be a point guard but shared the responsibilities with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In Chicago, he was their point guard and put up Jason Kidd-esque numbers. He averaged 14.6 points, a career high 8.1 rebounds, career high 7.2 assists, shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and a career best 37.8 percent from 3-point.
Those are very productive and efficient numbers for a point guard. Although he is not the scorer that elite point guards are today, he is one of the best playmakers in the league. After the season he had, it seemed reasonable that he would continue to develop further.
It makes sense that the Bulls would be banking on his development to grow, which is why they should offer him an extension. Of every player on the roster, he has the most upside to become an All-Star or greater, all while being one of the youngest players on the roster.
Why the Bulls shouldn't extend Giddey
One of the biggest reasons the Bulls — or any other team — has yet to offer him a contract is a lack of improvement during his time in the league. Giddey's numbers through his first four seasons have stayed relatively the same, with slight improvements to efficiency and turnovers.
Since his game hasn't drastically improved, it would make sense that the player he is now is all he is going to be. Being a ball-dominant player, teams around the league would need the right situation for him to be effective and a part of a winning culture.
Giddey has been more than just a point guard, but he must be the primary decision maker to have an impact. For most contenders, the best player on the team is the primary decision maker but are superstars. If teams around the league nor Chicago believe he can become that star-level player, then they have no reason to give him a long-term deal.