As the Golden State Warriors have attempted to either bring restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga back on a short-term contract or find some sort of favorable sign-and-trade this offseason, the most intriguing proposition has been a swap involving Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls.
Although these talks have largely been shut down as a result of Chicago's reluctance to move on from Giddey and Golden State's hesitation to part with additional pieces, the continued holding pattern between Giddey and his organization could eventually open the door for a deal.
Although the Bulls have made clear that they are extremely interested in retaining Giddey, who they view as their point guard of the future, their refusal to up their offer could result in extreme dissatisfaction on the part of their marquee restricted free agent.
Josh Giddey's situation with the Bulls could keep getting worse
When Chicago swapped veteran guard Alex Caruso for Giddey last offseason, the move was seen as quite surprising. Yet, as Giddey took large steps forward this season toward becoming a highly dependable playmaker and a bona-fide point guard, the deal began to make sense for the Bulls.
Yet, what doesn't make sense is Chicago's reluctance to pay Giddey according to his performance and his fit with the team.
According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the two parties are currently in a holding pattern as a result of the Bulls' refusal to increase their offer from a $20 million annual value: "They see [Giddey] as a major focal point of their roster moving forward, but they are not going to engage in any sign-and-trade scenario and they're not really going to move up their offer. So there's a holding pattern..."
While Kuminga and the Warriors are also stuck at an impasse in his negotations, the situation between Giddey and Chicago is somewhat different. Giddey has a clear fit and impact on their roster, and their unwillingness to go above $20 million could severely ruffle some feathers on the side of the young guard.
Therefore, while the Warriors have come to a tentative agreement with Kuminga on an annual value of around $22.5 million, Giddey and the Bulls are still far off from that point.
While it is still widely expected that Giddey returns to Chicago, their continued incompetence and unwillingness to budge in negotiations could eventually cause an irreparable rift between the two parties, opening the door for the Bulls to perhaps begin thinking about a sign-and-trade for Giddey.
They have expressed interest in Kuminga in the past, and, if Kuminga were willing to lower his asking price in order to find himself a better, short-term situation, Chicago could be the perfect destination.