According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Josh Giddey has signed a four-year, $100 million extension to return to the Chicago Bulls. And now that they have Giddey under contract for the foreseeable future, they need to build around him, which could open up some intriguing opportunities for the Boston Celtics.
Handing Giddey $25 million per season (on average) is a pretty big commitment for the Bulls. However, they also have some contract issues to iron out this season, as Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu are all entering the final year of their respective contracts, which could make them potential trade candidates.
That is where the Celtics could come into play.
Should Celtics trade with Bulls this season?
Boston doesn’t have many trade assets that would be of particular interest to the Bulls. At least, not at face value. But Anfernee Simons could be the key to making a trade happen between the two organizations.
In its current state, the Bulls roster doesn’t need Simons. They have four point guards already on the roster in Giddey, White, Dosunmu, and Tre Jones. That said, Simons can play off the ball, and depending on which player they like more, perhaps they could want to add him to the mix.
The Celtics are in a bind at the center position. They need Neemias Queta to pan out if they want to be competitive this season, but adding a quality center to the mix would be very useful. Perhaps Vucevic could fill that void.
A Simons for Vucevic trade could work out for both sides, particularly if the Celtics don’t view Simons as a part of their future past this season (which could depend on the defensive fit and how much they want to invest in Payton Pritchard).
But even if Vucevic isn’t the player they target, adding someone like Dosunmu in a deal could be perfect for the Celtics. He’s not at the same level as Simons on the offensive end, but he’s a quality defender who can play multiple positions. Dosunmu may be a better fit in Boston in the long term.
Maybe if the Bulls decided to part ways with Coby White in a deal this year, trading Dosunmu in a package for Simons could replace some of his production. That way, Chicago could get solid value back for White while also maintaining a scoring punch at the guard position.
Regardless, the Bulls inking Giddey to a new contract extension shows that they are committing to a future with him at the helm. And with him under contract, there could be some question marks in regard to who else they want to bring back.
Chicago could be open to business for trades this year, depending on which way they want to go with Giddey leading the way.