Josh Giddey is the highest-paid Bull and runs the offense for a 1-4 team that needs more from him than passing. The playmaking is real, but he has not been scoring, and a 15.4% usage rate says he is not looking for his shot.
The paycheck sets the bar. Giddey makes $25.0M this season, the biggest salary on a $164.3M payroll. He makes the same in 2027-28 and 2028-29. That money buys him the ball. He is 24 with five years in the league, so promise no longer counts. The question is whether the Bulls win when he runs the offense.
The passing holds up. Through five games he averages 8.0 assists in 26.7 minutes, with an assist percentage of 40.0%, and he grabs 5.6 boards a night. Against New York he had 10 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists with two turnovers. He finished +12, tied with Jalen Smith for the second-best mark on the team.
The shot does not. Scoring is the problem. Giddey averages 7.6 points, shooting 35.7% from the field and 21.4% from deep, and takes only 2.8 threes a night. His true shooting is 42.1%. A guard who rarely shoots and misses when he does makes it easier for defenses to crowd the lanes that Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis need.
The starting five bleeds. Powell, Smith, Giddey, Buzelis and Wilson have played 54 minutes together over four games, with a net rating of -24.8. Giddey's own ratings are 105.5 on offense and 121.4 on defense, a -15.9 net that matches the team's exactly. He is not sinking this group by himself. He is not lifting it either.
Trusted late Wednesday. Splitter kept him on the floor down the stretch against the Knicks. Giddey was part of the closing five and was still out there at the horn with Wilson, Smith, Buzelis and Powell. Chicago had led by 19 and lost 133-127. He made his one three-point attempt. The rally needed him to take more.
Healthy, and leaned on. Giddey is not on the injury report, and that matters on a thin roster. Nic Claxton's estimated return from his hamstring injury is Nov. 4. Patrick Williams (groin) is targeting Oct. 30, and Tobe Awaka is day-to-day with an ankle. Until the frontcourt is whole again, this offense depends on Giddey's decisions.
The verdict. Giddey does not need to become a volume scorer. He needs to be a threat. Taking the open threes and pushing his true shooting well above 42.1% would give Wilson and Norman Powell room to work. For a $25.0M point guard on a 1-4 team, eight assists a night should be the minimum.
How much is Josh Giddey paid by the Bulls?
Giddey earns $25.0M this season, the largest salary on the roster. He is due the same amount in 2027-28 and 2028-29.
Is Josh Giddey injured?
No. Giddey is not on the injury report heading into Friday's game at Boston.
