Bulls’ $27 Million Starter Makes Candid Admission After Billy Donovan’s Decision

Getty Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan looks on against the Brooklyn Nets.

Head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls came out on the wrong side of win No. 14 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who remained undefeated with a 144-126 victory.

Bulls guard Josh Giddey struggled, tallying 5 points and 4 personal fouls in 15 minutes.

Giddey was notably absent during the game’s closing moments prompting questions to both him and Donovan about “concerns” about a potentially ominous trend. Giddey, the Bulls’ big trade acquisition this offseason, has not closed in four straight games.

The Bulls acquired the 21-year-old former first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Alex Caruso, and the big point guard will be a restricted free agent in the 2025 offseason.

“I don’t even blame it on the fouls,” Giddey told reporters on November 15. “That was obviously part of it. But everything else was just as bad. I did foul, and that was probably a reason I wasn’t in the game for long. But I wouldn’t play myself if I was Billy. No minutes tonight. I was bad on both sides of the ball and, as I said, just gotta put this one in the bin and move on.”

“It p***** me off to be on that side of the ball and be like that,” Giddey said postgame, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley. “As I said in the preseason, I wanted to be better on that side of the ball and I thought I was making steps in the right direction. To have a night like I did tonight, kind of kills your confidence.”

Per NBA.com matchup data, Cavs players shot 90% from the floor when guarded by Giddey.

Giddey was 2-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, though he did not turn the ball over. Still, Giddey’s defensive shortcomings are an issue and why the Thunder willingly traded him.

Giddey is in the final year of his four-year, $27.2 million rookie scale contract. The Bulls will have the right of first refusal if Giddey signs an offer sheet as a restricted free agent in 2025.

Josh Giddey Spoke About Poor Defense After Bulls Trade

Giddey did acknowledge his poor defensive track record during his introductory press conference after his trade to the Bulls.

He cited his treatment during the playoffs versus the Dallas Mavericks.

Offensively, the Mavericks were willing to leave Giddey – a career 31.6% shooter from deep – open while committing to bigger threats. Defensively, he was targeted both by quicker, smaller players and bigger, stronger ones.

“It was probably a blessing in disguise for me. It really taught me what I need to work on, how I need to get better,” Giddey said in his June presser. “Obviously, shooting’s a big one. But also the defensive end is something that I think just coming into this offseason, switch just flipped in my mind and I just realized that to be at the highest level you’ve got to really compete at that end. You’ve got to be able to sit down, guard guys.

“That’s the side of the ball that I really want to take pride in. I think the offense will come naturally. But it’s that side of the ball that I really want to take steps forward in to make sure when playoff time comes around, that I’m ready to go, both sides of the ball and not just one.”

Donovan admitted Giddey’s foul trouble played a part in the decision to hold him out.

But Donovan downplayed that Giddey’s trend of absences to end games was in any way a potential “concern” for the Bulls given his looming contract situation.

Through 13 appearances in 2024-25, Giddey has shot 40% from downtown. He also has the worst defensive on-off differential among all qualifying Bulls players, per Cleaning The Glass.

Billy Donovan Gives Ominous Update on Bulls PG Lonzo Ball

Making matters worse for Donovan is the Bulls do not have Lonzo Ball to help take some of the defensive and ball-handling pressure off of him while also providing an outlet.

The Bulls have a minus-11.2 net rating in 785 possessions with Giddey on the floor, ranking in the 12th percentile. They have a plus-72.7 net rating when Ball is also on the floor – though that has been for just 22 qualifying possessions – and a minus-13.7 when rating when he is not.

Ball has missed the Bulls’ last nine games with a wrist injury, and his return timeline is unclear.

“Lonzo Ball worked out hard in New York, which Donovan said was “definitely a struggle.” Original optimistic target date was Sunday but Donovan said he needs at least another week. Ball is having trouble catching passes without pain,” Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson reported on X on November 15.

“Donovan said doctors said this could be a two-week injury or a six-week injury. In other words, it’s all fluid based on how the wrist heals. Ball can dribble and shoot. But catching passes is hard and Bulls haven’t even tried having him getting hit there on defense.”