Though contract negotiations between the Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey have been at a standstill for the vast majority of the summer, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, there appears to be an uptick in interest from GM Marc Eversley to get a deal done.
According to the insider, the franchise recently presented Giddey with a multi-year offer that is valued at around $20 million per season.
Sadly for both parties, this proposed deal is unlikely to result in a signing, as the AAV still falls well short of the 22-year-old's desired $30 million per-year salary demands that have been well-documented for months.
Of course, this should by no means come as a surprise to the Bulls.
Bulls should have been more prepared for Josh Giddey negotiations
While some could make the case that Giddey's desired pay-day is a tad high, especially considering the fact that such a salary would put him in the same range as established All-Star guards such as Dejounte Murray ($30.8M) and Tyler Herro ($31M), the fact of the matter is Chicago knew what they were getting themselves into when they traded for him last offseason.
The former lottery pick was entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract and would be auditioning for a new one during his debut season in the Windy City in 2024-25.
On top of this, he actually delivered on living up to expectations when being used as the lead floor general within coach Billy Donovan's rotation, as he posted career-best averages of 14.6 points, 7.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 37.8 percent shooting from deep in 70 games played.
At the end of the day, Giddey proved himself to be a quality starting point guard in the league and, now, is looking to be paid like one.
It's genuinely as simple as that!
Now, with all that being said, since there are no signs that suggest any team in the association would be willing to give Giddey his coveted salary, there's little reason to believe the Bulls will ultimately wind up caving.
However, there are middle grounds that can be found.
Whether it's agreeing on a three-year pact rather than the currently buzzed-about four, or both sides giving a little and, instead of the AAV being $20 million or $30 million, meeting closer to the middle at, say, $24 million, there are a number of ways for realistic compromises to be made.
Still, at this point in time, the ball is in Chicago's court to make a proper offer. After the season he had, Giddey has no reason to give in to what the Bulls are currently floating his way.