Forget about Jonathan Kuminga getting swapped for Josh Giddey in a double sign-and-trade.
According to ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel, the Golden State Warriors are not actively pursuing the Chicago Bulls‘ star point guard despite their reported interest, citing team sources from both organizations.
“Although interest from other teams may exist, the Warriors are not actively pursuing Giddey this offseason, team sources from both organizations confirmed. The Bulls have not held sign-and-trade talks with the Dubs regarding Giddey and Kuminga, a scenario that would be very difficult for both teams to solve financially,” Siegel reported on Aug. 11.
The Bulls have held interest in Kuminga, but not at the expense of trading away their rising star.
“The two teams have held conversations with one another this offseason, but talks around the start of free agency were more so centered around Kuminga and potential interest Chicago held, sources said. At no point did the Bulls signal that Giddey was available, nor did the Dubs try to put together a package for him,” Siegel continued.
Warriors’ Long-Held Interest in Josh Giddey
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Bleacher Report’s “NBA Insider Notebook” livestreamed on Aug. 7 that the Warriors would be interested, “depending on how the machinations could go in some type of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade.”
Fischer noted that the Warriors’ interest in Giddey dates back to the 2021 NBA draft.
“To my understanding, the Warriors were prepared on draft night way back in 2021 for Jonathan Kuminga to go no. 6 to Oklahoma City and they were ready to take Josh Giddey at no. 7,” Fischer said.
But the Thunder picked Giddey and the Warriors ended up with Kuminga, who never found his footing in Steve Kerr’s system.
However, in the same livestream, Fischer added that the Bulls continue to tell teams that Giddey will remain as their starting point guard.
An anonymous Bulls front office executive recently told Keith Smith of Spotrac that they are hell-bent on keeping their best point guard since Derrick Rose.
“We want to get a deal done with Josh,” the executive told Smith. “He’s as important of a player as we have. We see him as a foundational player for us. I hope we can find a deal that makes sense for us and him and that we’ll be together for a long time.”
Giddey’s Camp Trying to Drive Up Bulls’ Offer
According to Siegel, the news of the Warriors’ interest in Giddey is a ploy from the Australian guard’s camp to prop up his value.
“When asking around over the weekend and trying to connect the dots between the Bulls and Warriors, front office personnel and rival agents all came to the same conclusion: this is a means of Giddey’s side trying to increase the price one last time, rather than there being legitimate movement on something outside of Chicago,” Siegel wrote.
The Bulls have stood firm on their offer with $20 million annual average salary. Giddey’s camp is looking for a new deal that will pay him $30 million per year.
According to Siegel, “all indications” point to Giddey and the Bulls finding common ground on a new deal before the season, citing league sources.
Whether Giddey relents to a bargain deal or the Bulls blink, the dynamic between the team and their starting point guard will be an interesting watch moving forward.
