Magic unintentionally hurt Eastern Conference foe with Jalen Suggs contract

In the 2021 NBA Draft, Jalen Suggs and Josh Giddy were selected with the fifth and sixth overall picks by the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since then, their NBA careers have gone in widely different directions. 

Jalen Suggs is one of the best young defensive guards in the league right now, while also developing his offensive game. His defense has made him a cornerstone for a Magic team that built its newfound success on that end of the floor. Meanwhile, Giddy developed into an offensive juggernaut who can dish out beautiful passes. 

Another difference is that Suggs is still with the team that drafted him, and Giddey has moved on from the Thunder. The Thunder and Giddey seemingly had different visions for the future, and the Bulls were eager to land a young playmaker with Giddey’s potential when they traded Alex Caruso. 

The one issue was that Giddey’s rookie contract was running out, and his new team would have to agree to an extension with him. Apparently, the Magic unintentionally had a hand in stalling those extension talks. 

Giddey was reportedly looking for an extension similar to the one Suggs signed

Deciding on the right rookie extension for a player is not always easy. Even the Magic’s decision to give Franz Wagner a max extension was highly criticized, and the organization’s extension talks with Jalen Suggs took longer than some expected. Eventually, Suggs signed a 5-year, $150.5 million extension, likely keeping him around for a while as one of the Magic’s core pieces. 

Giddey was drafted right after Suggs and may be as good offensively as the latter is defensively. So, he felt he deserved a similar extension. The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported Giddey’s desire for a “Jalen Suggs-like deal.” 

Joe Cowley also wrote, “Those negotiations stalled in the fall, so Giddey will be a restricted free agent.” 

It seems the Bulls, who already have a lot of guards between Coby White, Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu, and Lonzo Ball, did not agree with the number. Giddey has been struggling defensively in Chicago and has not been closing games lately. Plus, he does not have the same relationship with the Bulls that Suggs does with the Magic. After all, he just got there and has not had the same chance yet to establish himself with the team and fanbase. 

Nevertheless, it would be tough for the Bulls to not agree to an extension with Giddey. He was the one piece they wanted in return for Alex Caruso—a high-level role player who could have started quite the bidding war among contenders all across the league. 

The season is still far from over, though. Giddey has plenty of time left to prove his worth and play his way into a significant new deal.