Josh Giddey provided fans with arguably the most memorable finish to an NBA contest this season on Thursday night, draining a halfcourt, game-winning buzzer-beater to lift the Chicago Bulls over the Los Angeles Lakers, 119-117.
Giddey’s Bulls enter play on Friday in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings at 33-40, and comfortably in the Play-In Tournament picture. While Chicago may be competing past the end of the regular season, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently predicted that the Australian 22-year-old’s days in the Windy City could be numbered.
Pincus crafted “10 NBA Free Agency Predictions for 2025 Offseason” on Thursday and among them is Giddey signing with the Brooklyn Nets. Pincus explained why he sees the Nets adding the former sixth overall pick after first predicting that the Detroit Pistons would sign Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid.
“If the Pistons are capped out after landing Naz Reid, the Nets can give Josh Giddey (restricted) an offer sheet that’s as unattractive as possible to scare the Chicago Bulls off from matching. Perhaps a four-year, $120.3 million descending contract starting at $32.5 million would be enough. Brooklyn could give Giddey a 15 percent trade bonus and 50 percent of his annual salary before each season, too,” the Bleacher Report scribe wrote. “The hope would be that Chicago balks at the immediate expense and the total price tag. If $120.3 million is too rich for the Nets, they must find the right number that works for them and not the Bulls.”
Giddey not only hit the game-winner to clinch Chicago’s fourth straight victory on Thursday, but recorded 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season.
After finishing the 2023-24 campaign with career lows in points (12.3), rebounds (6.4), assists (4.8) and minutes per contest (25.1), the former second team All-Rookie has bounced back during his first with the Bulls with career bests in assists (7.0) and steals (1.2) per game, as well as three-point field goal percentage (.384) across 64 tilts.
Nets Also Predicted to Add Warriors Youngster to Shore up Frontcourt
Giddey isn’t the only rising 22-year-old that Pincus sees the Nets adding over the summer.
With “a near monopoly on cap room,” he also predicts that Brooklyn will sign Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.
“Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors were far apart in extension talks this past fall. The Nets could gamble that a solid offer is enough to pry the forward loose for less than he wants but more than Golden State will pay,” Pincus wrote. “They could give him a four-year, $105.5 million offer sheet starting at $28.5 million (if it descends). Brooklyn can include a trade kicker and advances to try to swing Kuminga its way.”
Kuminga’s been limited to 39 games during his fourth NBA season, having missed over two months from early January to mid-March due to an ankle injury.
The 2021 seventh overall pick broke out in his third season last year, finishing third on the team in scoring (16.1 points per game) and with career best shooting numbers from the field (.529) and charity stripe (.746) across 74 games (46 starts). Kuminga is averaging career highs in points (16.3) and assists per contest (2.3) this season, though has produced a meager .453/.323/.659 shooting line.
Cam Thomas Staying in Brooklyn to Team up With Giddey?
The final big move that Pincus foresees the Nets making during the offseason is bringing back star shooting guard Cam Thomas.
“If (the Nets) offered (Thomas) a three-year, $69 million deal, can Thomas turn away that much salary in the hope he gets a better contract in 2026? Brooklyn would be gambling on him deciding against it,” he wrote. “The shorter deal would give Thomas a quicker reentry into free agency. The Nets might want to tack on a fourth year with team control. If so, that last year might need to climb to $23 million instead of descending to $18 million. With Giddey, Kuminga and Thomas at these numbers, the Nets would have $4.7 million left in cap room and the $8.8 million room mid-level exception to spend without exceeding the $187.8 million luxury-tax threshold.”
Thomas’ recent season-ending hamstring injury essentially ended any already minuscule chance that Brooklyn had of making the Play-In Tournament. The Nets have lost five in a row since then and at 23-50, have now officially been eliminated from contention.
The 23-year-old Thomas would be a big piece for the Nets to retain, as he leads the squad this season in points per game (career-best 24.0) and is averaging career highs in assists (3.8) and rebounds (3.3) too. The native of Japan registered his first career double-double during his final contest of the season vs. the Bulls on March 13, posting a team-high 24 points on 8-for-23 shooting (3-for-9 on three-pointers) with a game-best 10 assists.
As they wrap up a second straight year without making the playoffs, a big offseason could be in store for the Nets.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Josh Giddey Predicted to Sign Monster $120 Million Contract With New Team appeared first on Heavy Sports.