There are some things that are out of Josh Giddey’s pay grade.
That was the approach he was taking on Friday and he wasn’t going to stray from it.
So when the subject of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley being fired was asked about, Giddey found the high road and stuck to that path.
“I understand the business side of basketball and just like players when we’re not performing or living up to expectations, kind of the nature of the business,” the Bulls guard said. “Obviously, I built a relationship with AK and Marc while they were here and I appreciate everything they did for me, bringing me here, extending me, so very grateful for my time with them, but it’s part of the business and that’s how it goes sometimes.
“Similar to players, when you don’t perform your job can be in jeopardy and that goes for anybody in the building. I didn’t expect it or not expect it. I really didn’t think about it too much. These decisions are all a part of the business we’re in and when ownership feels that a change is needed, they make those decisions accordingly. It’s sad because of the human aspect, the relationships you build with those people, but as I said it’s a business and I’m sure those guys will be alright.”
It was a busy Friday for Giddey. The team announced that he was done for the season, not wanting to mess with a left hamstring that has been an issue several times throughout the 2025-26 campaign, and he also had to field questions about the future of his coach.
Again, he stressed that decision will be made by others higher on the totem pole. He could only speak about his relationship with Billy Donovan.
“He’s been awesome,” Giddey said of his coach. “I’ve loved him ever since I got here. He’s been very straightforward and I think all the guys would say the same thing. He’s very direct. He tells you what you need to here and not what you want to here, and he gives it to you straight. He coaches hard, he wants to win every game. You see how competitive he is on the sidelines. I couldn’t speak highly enough about him. I hope he’s here for a long time.”
That could all play out in the next week, as Donovan was scheduled to meet with ownership when the season ends Sunday night in Dallas. Will it be a quick decision by Donovan or will it require some time for him to weigh the pros and cons? That’s the unknown.
Giddey admittedly hasn’t spoken to Donovan about it but said he will.
Then again, Giddey has his own list of concerns. Giddey and Matas Buzelis are considered the two key players the Bulls will try and build around, but for that to be a reality, both have to take considerable jumps. For Giddey, that means heading back to Australia when the season ends, taking a breath for a week, and then getting back in the lab to first strengthen the hamstring and then tighten up the game.
“I thought it was alright,” Giddey said of his individual season. “I thought it was growth over last year. It doesn’t count for a lot if you’re not winning games and we didn’t finish anywhere near we wanted to at the end of the regular 82 games. I thought individually I was OK, up and down, but as I said I’ve got to find ways to impact winning and that’s probably the next step for me as a player.”
