Josh Giddey

Chicago is using Josh Giddey as the organiser of a quicker, more distributed attack. The final preseason games have sharpened the next question: can he punish defences when passing lanes disappear?

The role is becoming more defined

Josh Giddey is entering the regular season with a clearer responsibility in Chicago: start the offence, move it early and connect a young group without needing to dominate the scoring column.

That role was visible in the Bulls’ 125-104 win over Milwaukee on October 14, when Giddey finished with six points and nine assists. Chicago repeatedly used him to trigger actions rather than simply bring the ball over half-court, including a pass to rookie Caleb Wilson for a high-flying finish and an improvised feed that created a Matas Buzelis three-pointer. The Bulls’ official coverage described the team’s attack through its balance — 20 made threes, nine players scoring from deep and 43 points off Milwaukee turnovers — rather than through a single primary scorer. (nba.com)

paragraphs_extra_not_used?

Why the Memphis game still matters

The planned date needs correcting: Giddey’s 13-point, three-assist line came against Memphis on October 9, not October 16. The October 16 finale was Chicago’s 133-116 win over Minnesota, in which Giddey played 19 minutes and recorded 12 points, four assists and four rebounds, according to the available game report. (reddit.com)

The Memphis performance remains useful because it showed both sides of the evaluation. Giddey scored 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting and went 6-of-7 at the free-throw line, but produced only three assists in 23 minutes. That is not a poor offensive game; it is a revealing one. When Memphis reduced the value of his first pass, Chicago needed Giddey to create pressure himself rather than rely on the possession eventually finding another ball-handler. (reddit.com)

The preseason conversation has shifted

This is why the final preseason games are drawing more attention than the usual exhibition-stat discussion. Teams are moving from broad experimentation into rotation rehearsals, and the late schedule is exposing which lead guards can keep the offence organised while sharing the scoring load. Chicago’s coverage explicitly noted that the final preseason game is normally treated as a regular-season dress rehearsal, even though Milwaukee’s absences made that particular test imperfect. (nba.com)

For Giddey, the relevant test is not whether he can collect assists against a loose defence. It is whether his presence still bends the defence when opponents switch more actions, sit on his passing angles and force him into the second side of the possession. The Bulls have enough young movement around him to make that a reasonable strategy. Wilson has been a frequent play-finishing option, Buzelis is being encouraged to fire from outside and Chicago’s quicker second unit has been used to raise the pace. (nba.com)

The scoring question is about pressure, not volume

Giddey does not need to become Chicago’s highest-volume scorer. The issue is whether he can turn defensive caution into an advantage often enough. That can mean attacking a close-out, getting two feet in the paint, forcing a rotation and reaching the line — exactly the kind of sequence his six free throws against Memphis represented — before returning to his passing instincts.

The risk is predictable. If defenders can stay attached to shooters while conceding Giddey a controlled amount of space, his organising value becomes easier to contain. Chicago can still function through balance, but the possessions become less efficient if Giddey’s scoring threat does not force the first rotation.

The Bulls’ 2026-27 preview identifies Giddey, Wilson and Buzelis as the young core around which the team is building. That makes this more than a minor preseason detail: Giddey’s ability to connect the attack is already central to the shape of the team, while his scoring pressure will determine how difficult that shape is to defend once opponents stop treating the games as rehearsals. (nba.com)

SourcesBulls dominate Bucks in preseason behind balanced attack | Chicago BullsPreseason Game Thread: Memphis Grizzlies (1-1) at Chicago Bulls (1-0)Preseason Postgame Thread: FINAL Memphis Grizzlies defeat Chicago Bulls, 104–100Season Preview: Chicago BullsBulls dominate Bucks in preseason behind balanced attackStarting 5: Duren’s preseason debut headlines 7-game night2026-27 Season Preview: Chicago BullsJosh Giddey vs Memphis preseason box score report

Header image: Cade Cunningham, Scotty Barnes, and Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey again led Chicago in assists against Denver, reinforcing his role as the Bulls’ primary half-court organiser while his limited shot volume leaves the central offensive question unresolved.

The organising job is already clear

Josh Giddey finished Chicago’s 133-128 preseason loss to Denver on October 11 with seven points, eight assists, one rebound, one steal and one block in 24 minutes. He led the Bulls in assists for the third time in as many exhibition games, while Chicago’s schedule confirms the game was the third stop of its five-match preseason. (si.com)

The eight assists mattered less as a headline number than as confirmation of where Chicago’s offence is currently most reliable. Giddey was the guard repeatedly responsible for moving the ball into its next action, finding cutters and creating the advantage that allowed other Bulls to finish possessions. Through three games, he is averaging 6.0 assists, making his distribution the most stable part of his preseason profile. (cbssports.com)

That responsibility is particularly important for a Bulls group still establishing its offensive hierarchy. Giddey’s size and passing vision allow Chicago to initiate from the top, the wing or the post rather than relying exclusively on a conventional pick-and-roll guard. The value is in reducing the number of possessions that begin with a static hand-off or an isolated drive: Giddey can see over the first line of defence and keep the weak side involved.

Denver exposed the other side of the equation

The limitation was equally visible. Giddey scored seven points on 1-of-3 shooting, making one of his two three-point attempts and all four free throws. That is not an inefficient individual night in isolation, but it is a small scoring footprint for a lead initiator playing 24 minutes. The box score also recorded only one rebound, leaving his influence concentrated almost entirely in the passing column. (si.com)

For Chicago, the concern is not whether Giddey can generate assists. It is whether opponents can defend the Bulls’ structure by shrinking the floor around him when he is not an immediate scoring threat. If defenders are comfortable going under screens or helping off him, the first advantage can disappear before Giddey reaches the second side of the floor. His four free throws against Denver showed one route around that problem, but the volume was modest.

That makes his current development more specific than a generic call for improved shooting. Chicago needs Giddey to punish the defensive choices attached to his playmaking: attack the gap when defenders retreat, take open threes without hesitation and turn close-outs into paint touches. The passing is already giving the offence a reliable starting point; the next step is making that starting point harder to load against.

A useful preseason checkpoint, not a finished offensive answer

Giddey’s three-game line — 9.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game — describes a player controlling possessions without yet dominating them as a scorer. His assist production has held while the scoring has remained secondary, which is encouraging for Chicago’s structure but insufficient evidence that the regular-season balance is solved. (cbssports.com)

The Bulls have two preseason games remaining, beginning with Milwaukee on October 14. Those minutes should be used to test whether Giddey’s organisation can survive more aggressive ball pressure and whether his off-ball positioning creates enough concern to preserve driving lanes for teammates. (nba.com)

Against Denver, the answer was clear enough: Chicago’s offence currently looks more coherent when Giddey is directing it. The unresolved question is whether that coherence can translate into efficient scoring when opponents treat his passing as the primary threat and his shot as the secondary one.

SourcesChicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets Final Score & Box Score — October 11, 2026 | SIBulls' Josh Giddey: Dishes eight dimes against Denver - CBS SportsSchedule | Chicago BullsChicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets final score and box score — October 11, 2026Bulls’ Josh Giddey: Dishes eight dimes against DenverChicago Bulls 2026-27 scheduleChicago Bulls preseason roster and statistics

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey’s 13 points against Memphis were less important than how he reached them: Chicago is now testing whether its lead initiator can bend a defence before the passing options appear.

The next question is not whether Josh Giddey can run the offence

Josh Giddey’s 13-point preseason contribution against Memphis did not change Chicago’s result. The Bulls still fell 104–100 at the United Center on Friday night, October 9 in the United States — a game listed as October 10 in Australian time. It did, however, sharpen the next question in Giddey’s development: can Chicago’s lead initiator consistently make the defence deal with him as a scorer?

Giddey finished with 13 points in 23 minutes, shooting 3-of-7 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. He also added three assists, three rebounds and a block. The six made free throws are the most revealing part of the line. They suggest an offensive night built not only on waiting for a passing window, but on creating enough pressure to force Memphis into decisions around his own attack. (cbssports.com)

A different kind of evidence

That distinction matters because Giddey’s early Chicago evaluation has already included the familiar evidence: his size at the point, his passing vision and his ability to organise teammates. His previous preseason checkpoint was built around seven assists. This performance offered a different kind of evidence, with Giddey starting and finishing as Chicago’s third-leading scorer behind rookie Caleb Wilson and veteran Norman Powell. (cbssports.com)

The scoring itself was not overwhelming. Three field goals in seven attempts is useful rather than dominant, and one made three-pointer will not by itself alter how opponents guard him. But six trips to the line give the night more shape. Free throws are often the clearest sign that a ball-handler has moved from facilitating the action to placing the defence under direct stress, whether through a drive, a mismatch or a late-clock decision.

For Chicago, that is the practical value of this preseason. The Bulls are not merely deciding who brings the ball up or who starts possessions. They are examining what those possessions demand from Giddey when the first pass is unavailable and the defence refuses to let him remain a connector on the perimeter.

From role definition to repeatability

The challenge now is repeatability. A single aggressive showing can come from a favourable matchup, a particular game script or the natural looseness of exhibition basketball. The opening-night version of this question will be harder: can Giddey pressure the rim and earn free throws without abandoning the passing instincts that make him valuable? Can he keep defenders attached enough to create space for Chicago’s other creators, while still seeing the second and third options developing behind the initial attack?

Those are connected demands, not competing identities. Giddey does not need to become a high-volume scorer to make this growth meaningful. Chicago needs him to become sufficiently threatening that defences cannot treat his passing as the only danger. The difference is subtle but significant: a lead initiator who attacks first can make the pass more valuable when it comes.

His 2025–26 season already gave Chicago a statistical foundation to build from, with career highs reported in points, assists and rebounds, albeit alongside a 44.8 per cent field-goal mark that was his lowest since his rookie season. The Memphis performance does not resolve the efficiency question, but it shows the shape of the answer the Bulls are seeking — more force in the initial action, and more willingness to make the defence react to Giddey before it reacts to everyone else. (cbssports.com)

The meaning of the result

For an Australian guard whose game has long been measured through what he creates for others, the human meaning of this stage is straightforward: Giddey is being asked to add pressure without losing the qualities that brought him this responsibility in the first place.

The 13 points are therefore a checkpoint, not a conclusion. The six free throws make it a more interesting one. Chicago has already seen that Giddey can start, handle and distribute in the new season’s opening experiments. Against Memphis, it got a glimpse of the more demanding version — the one that asks opponents to stop him before they can worry about who he will find.

Preseason will not prove that this scoring pressure is ready for 82 games. It can show whether the habit is beginning. For Giddey and the Bulls, that is the evaluation now moving to the front of the queue.

SourcesBulls' Josh Giddey: Chips in 13 points in Friday's loss - CBS SportsMemphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls, October 9, 2026 game summaryGame Recap: Grizzlies 104, Bulls 100Bulls’ Josh Giddey: Chips in 13 points in Friday’s loss

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey’s 13-point showing against Memphis offered an early indication that Chicago wants more scoring from its starting guard, even as his reduced assist total leaves the balance unresolved.

A sharper scoring posture, without a complete offensive shift

Josh Giddey’s second preseason start for Chicago brought a different emphasis from his opening performance: fewer created baskets for teammates, but a more visible willingness to attack the scoring opportunity himself.

Giddey finished Chicago’s 104-100 loss to Memphis on Friday, October 9, with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block in 22 minutes 54 seconds. He shot 3-of-7 from the field, made one of three three-point attempts and went 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. The scoring total was almost double his seven-point outing against Phoenix two nights earlier, when he supplied seven assists. (nba.com)

That contrast is the useful preseason evidence. Against Phoenix, Giddey’s influence was primarily connective. Against Memphis, he reached the line six times and took seven field-goal attempts, including a made three, while recording fewer than half as many assists. It does not establish a permanent tactical change, but it does show Chicago testing whether its lead guard can carry more of the scoring burden without disappearing as a passer.

The context matters more than the raw points

Giddey’s 13 points ranked third for Chicago, behind rookie Caleb Wilson’s 21 and Norman Powell’s 17. His three assists were tied with several Bulls players and well below the seven he produced in the opener. Chicago therefore lost some of the high-volume organisation that had defined his first preseason appearance, although the box score still showed involvement in several areas rather than a narrow scoring-only role. (si.com)

The free throws are particularly relevant to the intended development. Six made foul shots accounted for nearly half of Giddey’s total, suggesting that his increased scoring output came partly from putting pressure on the defence rather than simply taking more jump shots. His 3-of-7 field-goal line was productive enough for a preseason sample, but not strong evidence that the outside shot or half-court shot creation has suddenly become reliable.

Nor should the assist number be treated as a failure. Chicago’s second game featured a spread-out scoring distribution, with four Bulls reaching double figures, and Giddey played fewer than 23 minutes. Preseason rotations and line-ups make it difficult to infer a fixed hierarchy from one night. The confirmed development is narrower: the Bulls used Giddey as a starter again and saw him combine moderate creation with more direct scoring aggression.

Denver offers the next checkpoint

Chicago’s next preseason game is against Denver at Ball Arena on Sunday, October 11, giving the Bulls a quick opportunity to repeat or reject the experiment. The game is scheduled for 9pm Eastern time and is listed for ESPN. (nba.com)

The key question is not whether Giddey scores exactly 13 points again. It is whether the scoring pressure can coexist with the passing responsibility that makes him valuable. A second consecutive outing with regular drives, free-throw attempts and willingness to shoot would suggest Chicago is asking him to be more than a facilitator. A return to seven or more assists would show that the higher scoring night against Memphis did not require him to vacate his primary organising role.

For now, the evidence supports a measured conclusion rather than a role declaration. Giddey’s second start was more assertive, but it was not yet more efficient or more influential than his first. Chicago has two different preseason signals: seven assists in a win over Phoenix, then 13 points and six made free throws in a narrow loss to Memphis. Denver should provide the first chance to see whether those traits can begin appearing in the same performance.

SourcesMemphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls Oct 9, 2026 Game Summary | NBA.comMemphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls Final Score & Box Score — October 9, 2026 | SIChicago Bulls Team Info and News | NBA.comMemphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls, October 9, 2026 — NBA game summaryMemphis Grizzlies vs Chicago Bulls, October 9, 2026 — box scoreJosh Giddey game logs — RealGMChicago Bulls 2026-27 schedule — NBA.comBulls’ Josh Giddey: Hands out seven dimes — CBS Sports

Header image: Cade Cunningham, Scotty Barnes, and Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey’s passing was the clearest positive from Chicago’s 124–117 preseason win over Phoenix, but his one-of-six shooting keeps the Bulls’ offensive evaluation balanced.

The passing translated immediately

Josh Giddey opened Chicago’s preseason with seven assists in 23 minutes, helping the Bulls beat the Phoenix Suns 124–117 at the United Center on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. He led Chicago in assists and finished with seven points, three rebounds, one block and two turnovers. (cbssports.com)

The important detail is not simply the total. Giddey’s seven assists arrived while Chicago produced 30 as a team, six more than Phoenix, and shot 50.6 per cent from the field. That gives the Bulls an early piece of evidence that their offence can still use Giddey as its connective organiser without requiring him to dominate every possession or carry the scoring burden. (basketball.com.au)

Efficiency keeps the verdict grounded

Giddey’s offensive night was useful rather than complete. He made only one of six field-goal attempts, including one of three from three-point range, but went four of four at the foul line. The low shooting return matters because Phoenix could afford to play him as a secondary scoring threat while Chicago benefited from his distribution. (nbcsports.com)

That is the next tactical question for Chicago: can Giddey punish the defensive choices created by his passing? If opponents go under screens or load up on the Bulls’ primary scorers, his ability to turn those gaps into efficient drives, paint touches or open threes will determine whether the passing advantage remains sustainable once the games become meaningful. One preseason performance cannot answer that, but it identifies the pressure point clearly.

The turnover count is the useful secondary signal

Giddey’s two turnovers against seven assists gave him a 3.5-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. That is a positive early marker for an offence asking him to handle and distribute, particularly in a game where Chicago’s ball movement was one of its clearest statistical advantages. (nbcsports.com)

It also separates this performance from a simple volume-playmaking story. Giddey did not need a high-usage scoring game to influence the result. He created value through decisions, found teammates often enough to lead the team in assists, and avoided the kind of loose possessions that can erase the benefit of a ball-dominant guard. The sample remains only 23 minutes, but the passing-to-mistake balance is more encouraging than the raw assist number alone.

What Chicago can test next

The Bulls should now use the rest of preseason to test whether Giddey’s orchestration survives different defensive coverages and line-up combinations. Phoenix’s game produced a win and a strong team-assist number, but Chicago still needs to see how much of that structure depends on Giddey creating advantages himself rather than simply moving the ball after someone else has already broken the defence.

The next checkpoint is therefore not another seven-assist target. It is whether Giddey can keep generating efficient offence when teams deliberately concede him space, while maintaining the low-turnover control that made this opening performance valuable. His passing gives Chicago a foundation; his scoring efficiency will decide how aggressively opponents can challenge it.

For now, the result is a modest but relevant confirmation. Giddey remains capable of organising Chicago’s offence at a high level, and the Bulls can win a preseason game with him influencing the game more as a creator than a scorer. The one-of-six shooting prevents any larger conclusion, but the seven assists and two turnovers establish the right early question: how far can Chicago push its attack if Giddey’s playmaking is reliable and his finishing catches up?

SourcesBulls' Josh Giddey: Hands out seven dimes - CBS SportsGiddey-up: Josh dishes seven as Bulls beat Reath's Suns | Basketball.com.auJosh Giddey dishes out seven assists in 23 minutes - NBC SportsGame Recap: Bulls 124, Suns 117Suns at Bulls box score — October 7, 2026Giddey-up: Josh dishes seven as Bulls beat Reath’s SunsBulls’ Josh Giddey: Hands out seven dimes

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey will start Chicago’s preseason opener against Phoenix, giving Australia’s lead guard the first live test of how Tiago Splitter wants his new-look Bulls to be organised.

The first possession will matter more than the first score

Josh Giddey will walk into the United Center on Wednesday night with something more valuable than a preseason box-score target: a clear invitation to take ownership of Chicago’s new offence.

The Bulls have confirmed Giddey among the starters for their opening preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, alongside Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson. The fifth position is expected to be filled by a big man, with Nic Claxton unavailable after suffering a hamstring injury that is set to be re-evaluated on October 19. (si.com)

That detail changes the shape of the experiment, but not its central question. With Tiago Splitter taking over from Billy Donovan, how much of Chicago’s early identity will run through the Australian guard’s hands?

A larger organiser in a different structure

Giddey’s selection is not simply a reward for being a returning starter. It places him at the centre of a group that Splitter is expected to develop around size, movement and multiple decision-makers.

At 6-foot-8, Giddey has always offered Chicago an unusual answer at the point of attack. He can see over pressure, advance the ball without needing a screen and create advantages as a rebounder or secondary transition initiator. The challenge has been converting those tools into a reliable half-court structure, particularly when opponents deny him easy passing lanes or ask him to punish space as a scorer.

That makes Wednesday’s game less about whether Giddey produces a familiar line of points, rebounds and assists, and more about where Chicago asks him to begin its actions. Does he bring the ball up and call the first set? Does Splitter use him as a high-post connector while Powell handles more of the initial pressure? Can Giddey and Wilson share the playmaking burden without either player being reduced to a spectator?

The NBA’s season preview has identified Giddey’s adjustment to Splitter as one of Chicago’s defining early questions. That is a significant framing for a player entering his third season with the Bulls: the new coach is not merely inheriting Giddey’s role, but deciding which parts of his game should become the foundation of the next version of the team. (nba.com)

The centre missing from the picture

Claxton’s absence means the planned Giddey–Powell–Buzelis–Wilson–Claxton combination will not be seen in full during the first test. Chicago’s projected starting group was supposed to pair Giddey’s passing with Claxton’s rim-running and vertical spacing, creating a straightforward target for one of the league’s most naturally inventive young playmakers. (nba.com)

Instead, Giddey will begin the Splitter era with a temporary frontcourt arrangement. Jalen Smith is expected to be the most likely starting centre, although the final selection had not been formally confirmed in the available reporting. That could make the opening game more about principles than precision: how the Bulls space the floor, how quickly they flow from transition into their half-court actions and whether Giddey is empowered to make the next decision rather than simply deliver the first pass.

For Giddey, that distinction carries personal weight. His move from Oklahoma City to Chicago was supposed to provide a larger platform for his orchestration, and his four-year return contract has made him part of the franchise’s long-term calculation rather than a short-term experiment. The responsibility now is to make that investment feel functional inside Splitter’s vision. (nba.com)

A live starting point, not a verdict

Splitter has spoken about patience, standards and the need to develop a young roster. That should temper any attempt to treat one preseason game as a final judgement on Giddey or the Bulls. A new coach’s first lineup is an opening statement, not a finished system.

But it is still meaningful that Giddey is the lead guard chosen to deliver that statement. Chicago’s season preview asks how quickly the projected starting group can come together. On Wednesday, the answer will begin with the Australian’s ability to make the new pieces feel connected before the structure is fully settled. (nba.com)

The points may be temporary. The role should not be. If Giddey can make Splitter’s first offence breathe — moving the ball early, finding Wilson in useful spots and turning Powell’s scoring into an extension of the team’s organisation — Chicago will have its first evidence that its new era can be built around him.

SourcesBulls Training Camp Notes: Starting Lineup Set? How Splitter Wants to Play, MoreSeason Preview: Chicago BullsChicago Bulls Team Info and News | NBA.comBulls Training Camp Notes: Starting Lineup Set? How Splitter Wants to Play, MoreSeason Preview: Chicago Bulls3 coaches ready for new journeys in 2026-27 seasonChicago Bulls Team Info and Roster

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey enters Chicago’s 2026-27 campaign unrestricted after ankle surgery, but the bigger shift is the responsibility attached to his role: organising a young Bulls group and helping turn potential into structure.

The ankle is no longer the headline

Josh Giddey arrives at Chicago Bulls training camp with the medical question answered. After undergoing right ankle arthroscopy in May, the Australian guard has been cleared to participate without restrictions when camp begins, removing the obvious uncertainty hanging over his preparation. (nba.com)

That is an important change from the end of last season, when ankle and hamstring issues limited Giddey to 54 games. The Bulls’ official medical update projected him to resume basketball activity after roughly three months and return for camp; the latest team information confirms that timeline has been met. (nba.com)

For Chicago, though, full health is only the starting point. The expectation is not simply that Giddey will be available. It is that he will be the player who makes the new-look roster function.

Chicago’s organiser is now also its reference point

Giddey’s 2025-26 season gave the Bulls a clear offensive foundation. He produced career highs of 17.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game, with his assist average ranking third in the NBA. Those numbers describe more than a productive individual season: they show a big guard already operating as Chicago’s primary organiser. (nba.com)

The next step is broader. Chicago has entered camp with a youthful core featuring Giddey, Matas Buzelis and 2026 fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson, alongside a reshaped roster and new head coach Tiago Splitter. The Bulls’ camp roster was announced on September 25, with the group reporting for work from September 29. (nba.com)

That construction places Giddey in a different kind of spotlight. He is not being asked to become a traditional, speech-making captain overnight. Rather, his influence will be measured through the daily details of a young team: where possessions begin, who gets organised after a mistake, whether Chicago’s emerging scorers receive the ball in useful places and how quickly the group adopts Splitter’s standards.

The leadership brief is practical, not ceremonial

Coverage of Chicago’s September 28 media day and the opening of camp has framed Giddey as one of the established voices in a rebuild that is still very young at its centre. At 23 and entering his sixth NBA season, he has already experienced both sides of a team-building cycle: a rebuilding Oklahoma City group early in his career and the pressure of trying to push Chicago towards relevance. (sports.yahoo.com)

Giddey’s own perspective matters here. He has acknowledged that his experience gives him something to pass on, while also recognising that leadership is not simply a label attached to the oldest player in the room. That distinction suits his game. His authority has generally come through reading the floor, finding teammates early and controlling the tempo rather than dominating possessions with volume scoring.

With Wilson and Buzelis expected to carry significant developmental attention, Giddey’s role should extend beyond creating his own offence. He must connect the young forwards to the game, simplify their decisions and keep Chicago’s attack moving when the first option disappears. The Bulls need him to be the stabilising hand without turning the offence into a one-player operation.

The next test is whether influence becomes winning structure

There is no need to overstate what has changed. Chicago finished 12th in the Eastern Conference last season and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. A healthy Giddey does not, by itself, solve the Bulls’ defensive or roster questions. (cdn-uat.nba.com)

But it does clarify the central basketball experiment. Giddey is now established enough to be judged not merely on whether he can produce, but on whether his production gives younger teammates a reliable framework. His rebounding can start transition, his passing can accelerate development and his size can help Chicago play through mismatches in the backcourt.

That is why this camp represents a cleaner milestone than the earlier ankle storyline. Giddey is unrestricted, experienced and coming off the best statistical season of his career. Chicago’s next generation will not simply be playing alongside him. It will be learning how to play through him.

The Bulls’ first preseason game is scheduled for October 7 against Phoenix, but the more revealing work will happen before then. Splitter’s first camp will test whether Giddey can turn his individual command of the ball into collective command of the team. For Chicago’s rebuild, that is the real promotion.

SourcesChicago Bulls Team Info and News | NBA.comJOSH GIDDEY MEDICAL UPDATE | Chicago BullsBULLS ANNOUNCE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER | Chicago BullsChicago Bulls Players Emphasizing Leadership Ahead of 2026-27 Season - Yahoo SportsBulls guard Josh Giddey (ankle) undergoes arthroscopic surgery | NBA.comChicago Bulls: Josh Giddey medical updateChicago Bulls announce 2026-27 training camp rosterChicago Bulls team information and player newsNBA.com: Josh Giddey ankle surgery reportBasketball.com.au: How 23-year-old Josh Giddey is leading Bulls rebuild

Header image: Cade Cunningham, Scotty Barnes, and Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

The Bulls’ September 28 media day did more than introduce Bryson Graham and Tiago Splitter. It gave Chicago’s rebuild a language — development, daily standards and versatility — with Josh Giddey positioned as the young connector who must make that identity function on the floor.

A reset with a stated identity

Chicago’s new era became official on Monday, September 28, when executive vice-president of basketball operations Bryson Graham and head coach Tiago Splitter addressed the media before the start of training camp. The significant development was not simply that the Bulls had changed leadership. It was that the organisation was prepared to describe itself as rebuilding, and to present patience as a deliberate strategy rather than an absence of direction.

That matters because media day is increasingly being used by rebuilding teams to explain what they are becoming. The language around Chicago was consistent: young players would be developed, standards would be established and the roster’s athleticism and positional flexibility would shape how the team plays. Splitter said the Bulls wanted to compete every night while continuing to develop the entire roster, rather than presenting immediate contention as the only measure of progress. (nba.com)

The same pattern was visible across the league on September 28. Utah coach Will Hardy spoke about building winning habits day by day, while Minnesota framed LaMelo Ball’s arrival partly around allowing Anthony Edwards to operate more naturally as a scorer. Those were not identical situations, but they reflected the broader media-day conversation: teams are defining roles and development pathways around young, multi-skilled players instead of relying solely on an established star to supply the identity. (nba.com)

Why Giddey is central to the experiment

Josh Giddey is the clearest Australian lens on Chicago’s version of that trend because the Bulls are not presenting him as a conventional positional guard. Splitter’s description was specific: Giddey is a cerebral player who can lead younger teammates by passing, pushing the pace, finding easy shots and creating cuts. That is a description of an offensive organiser, not merely a starting point guard or a secondary ball-handler. (nba.com)

The distinction is important. Chicago’s most prominent young pieces include fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Giddey, with Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue among the other developing players identified around the roster. NBA.com’s season preview similarly described the Bulls as building around young talent, while noting the additions of veteran scorer Norman Powell and defensive anchor Nic Claxton. The roster therefore has experience, but its public identity is being built around size, athleticism and players who can perform more than one task. (nba.com)

That puts unusual responsibility on Giddey. Wilson may become the highest-upside prospect and Buzelis may offer the most obvious wing development story, but someone has to connect those pieces before the Bulls know exactly what they have. Giddey’s passing vision and transition instincts give him the tools to do that. The question is whether he can turn those tools into a repeatable offensive structure: initiating possessions, organising young teammates, keeping the ball moving and still creating enough scoring pressure to prevent the offence becoming predictable.

The patience is real — but it is not passive

Chicago’s stated patience should not be mistaken for a season without expectations. Graham and Splitter are setting a framework in which development must be visible through habits and decision-making. Splitter spoke about creating daily standards, while his comments on Giddey placed the Australian in a leadership role among the younger players. That is a meaningful distinction from simply giving a young guard minutes and waiting to see what happens. (nba.com)

The Bulls have also added veterans who appear designed to support the young core rather than replace it. Powell supplies shot creation; Claxton provides rim protection and a running partner in the frontcourt. In theory, that should allow Giddey to work as the connective tissue between the perimeter and the developing big and wing talent. In practice, it will test whether his influence survives when opponents force him into half-court scoring decisions.

That is why this story is fresher than another camp-role update. The question is not simply where Giddey lines up or whether his ankle is ready for the season. It is whether Chicago’s rebuild can use his versatility as a foundation for its playing identity. If the Bulls become a coherent, fast, pass-driven and defensively connected young team, Giddey’s organising role will be central to the explanation. If the pieces remain individually interesting but collectively disjointed, his limitations as a primary scorer will become harder to hide.

For now, the confirmed message from Chicago is patient development with Giddey helping to lead it. Whether that becomes a genuine franchise identity will be decided in the games, not at the podium. But after September 28, the Bulls have made clear that the Australian is not merely one young piece in the rebuild. He is one of the players being asked to make the rebuild make sense.

Sources3 coaches ready for new journeys in 2026-27 season | NBA.comBest sights, sounds, moments from 2026 NBA Media Day | NBA.comChicago Bulls’ Rebuild is Officially Underway, Led by Graham & Splitter — Yahoo SportsChicago Bulls Team Info and News — NBA.com

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

With Chicago’s 21-man training-camp group set and a new young frontcourt around him, Josh Giddey’s next development step is no longer an abstract question of upside. It is a practical test of how his playmaking, scoring and off-ball value fit together.

The question is no longer whether Giddey gets the ball

Josh Giddey arrives at Chicago’s 2026-27 training camp with something more valuable than a vague promise of growth: a defined place in a roster that now gives the Bulls a clear reason to test his limits.

Chicago’s 21-man camp group, announced on September 25, includes Giddey alongside veteran scorer Norman Powell, fellow point guard Tre Jones, rookie guard Rob Dillingham and wing defenders Isaac Okoro and Dailyn Swain. Camp begins on Tuesday, September 29, with the first preseason game against Phoenix scheduled for October 7. (nba.com)

That makes this week less about deciding whether Giddey should be a primary organiser. His size, rebounding and passing already make him the most natural connective guard on the roster. The more important question is how much of Chicago’s attack can be built around him while still allowing the Bulls’ new pieces to develop on their own terms.

A roster built to expose the fit

The Bulls have assembled a group that should force that question quickly. Caleb Wilson, the fourth pick in the 2026 draft, is being positioned as the potential centrepiece of the next phase. Matas Buzelis returns after a 16.3-point, 5.8-rebound season, while Nic Claxton gives Chicago a defensive centre who can cover space and finish possessions. The official Bulls preview described the season as one of finding who works best around Wilson, with Giddey, Buzelis and Norman Powell among the established NBA talent in that mix. (nba.com)

For Giddey, that creates a more specific tactical challenge than simply being asked to “take the next step”. He has to make Wilson easier to find, Buzelis easier to use and Powell easier to space around. His value will be measured not only by how often he controls the offence, but by whether the offence remains functional when he gives the ball up.

That is the important distinction. Giddey’s best work has often come when he is moving the defence before the possession becomes a set play: pushing in transition, throwing over the top of a scrambling defence or using his height to see passing lanes smaller guards cannot. But a team built around a high-level young scorer cannot have every possession begin and end with Giddey’s hands. Camp should begin defining where he initiates, where he relocates and where he becomes the second decision-maker rather than the first.

The numbers have raised the standard

Giddey’s 2025-26 season gives Chicago a stronger base for that experiment. He finished with career-best averages of 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 54 games, ranking third in the NBA in assists per game. (nba.com) Those numbers confirm that his game has expanded, but they also raise the standard for what comes next.

The Bulls are no longer evaluating whether the Australian can produce across several categories. They are evaluating whether that production can translate into a reliable offensive identity for a team that finished 31-51 last season. Giddey’s own stated ambition, reported by the Bulls in April, was to grow into a player who can take on a primary scoring role when games tighten, rather than only create advantages for teammates. (nba.com)

That does not mean turning him into a conventional scoring guard. The better version of Giddey is still the player who sees the game one pass ahead. The development challenge is adding enough downhill pressure, pull-up confidence and late-clock responsibility that defences cannot simply wait for him to pass.

Camp can make the answer tangible

The human meaning of this moment is simple: Giddey is no longer trying to prove he belongs in Chicago. The four-year deal he signed in September 2025 established that commitment. (nba.com) Now he has to help define what the commitment becomes.

This camp is where the Bulls can turn a talented Australian point guard into the organising principle of a young team — or decide that his greatest value lies in a more flexible, shared role. Neither outcome would represent failure. But the roster has moved the conversation forward.

For Giddey, the next step is not another general breakout projection. It is learning how to make a crowded, changing Bulls lineup feel coherent. If he can bend the game as a passer while accepting the possessions that demand scoring, Chicago will have a clearer answer about its future.

SourcesBULLS ANNOUNCE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER | Chicago BullsBulls enter 2026-27 season with hopes Caleb Wilson can be "that guy" | Chicago BullsSEASON IN REVIEWSam Smith: Can Josh Giddey be 'The Guy' for the Bulls? | Chicago BullsBulls re-sign Josh Giddey to multi-year deal | NBA.comBulls announce training camp rosterBulls enter 2026-27 season with hopes Caleb Wilson can be “that guy”Chicago Bulls 2025-26 season reviewSam Smith: Can Josh Giddey be ‘The Guy’ for the Bulls?Bulls re-sign Josh Giddey to multi-year deal

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

As NBA rebuilds place more weight on a single emerging franchise focal point, Josh Giddey’s return from ankle surgery carries a broader test: can an established young guard make his game more valuable without needing the offence to belong to him?

The question has moved beyond recovery

Josh Giddey enters Chicago’s September 29 training camp with the medical timeline largely established. The Bulls announced on May 13 that Giddey had undergone right ankle arthroscopy, would begin basketball activities in roughly three months and was expected back for camp. That is not the same as confirmation that he will be unrestricted physically or immediately restored to his previous workload, but it means the ankle is no longer the only meaningful storyline. (nba.com)

The more consequential question is whether Giddey can become a high-value connector around Caleb Wilson, rather than simply returning as Chicago’s primary organiser. The Bulls’ September 25 season outlook explicitly framed the campaign around identifying who fits best with Wilson, while listing Giddey among the team’s NBA-quality starters. That language places the Australian inside the evaluation of the new core, not outside it as a finished product. (nba.com)

Why the league is discussing fit now

This is becoming a familiar rebuilding-team problem. Once a high draft pick is treated as a potential franchise centrepiece, established young guards are no longer assessed only by how much offence they can create. They are asked whether their strengths survive when another player controls more possessions, and whether their weaknesses can be reduced by better spacing, size and defensive structure.

The current season previews show that discussion spreading across the league. Detroit’s roster analysis identifies Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson as complementary pieces beside Cade Cunningham, while considering secondary playmaking and spot-up shooting as ways to make Cunningham harder to defend. Washington’s preview similarly focuses on how a reshaped roster and improved perimeter shooting can help Alex Sarr. These are not identical situations to Chicago, and they do not prove a league-wide tactical revolution, but they illustrate the same front-office priority: test young talent in combinations that clarify who can scale beside the lead player. (nba.com)

The timing matters because camp converts theory into line-ups. Chicago’s roster has changed around Wilson, with Nic Claxton and Norman Powell added alongside the young core. The NBA’s own preview describes the Bulls as building around Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Giddey, while also asking how returning players will adjust to new coach David Splitter. With practices beginning on Tuesday, the fit question is about roles, spacing and defensive responsibilities now — not a hypothetical issue for February. (cdn-uat.nba.com)

What Giddey has to prove beside Wilson

Giddey’s obvious value remains his size and passing. Chicago’s official season review recorded career-best 2025-26 averages of 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists, with his assist total ranking third in the NBA. Those numbers establish that he can carry significant creation responsibility. They do not, by themselves, answer whether he can remain influential when Wilson becomes the preferred scorer and decision-maker. (nba.com)

The first test is playmaking without possession monopoly. Giddey should still be able to initiate, especially in transition and against mismatches, but Wilson’s development will require possessions where the rookie receives the ball early, attacks a tilted defence or makes the next decision. Giddey’s passing has to make those possessions easier rather than pulling the offence back towards himself.

The second is off-ball value. If Wilson is a 6-foot-10 forward with the athletic profile to pressure the rim, Giddey must create space through timely cuts, hand-offs, screening and selective perimeter shooting. The Bulls do not need him to imitate a conventional shooting guard; they need enough threat away from the ball that opponents cannot simply ignore him while loading up on Wilson. That is an inference from the roster construction, not a confirmed coaching plan.

The third is defensive scale. Giddey’s 6-foot-7 frame gives Chicago lineup flexibility, but size alone does not make a defensive fit. Camp will show whether he can guard across actions, rebound from the backcourt and make the low-maintenance rotations that allow Wilson to spend energy as a developing offensive focal point.

The Australian lens on a wider bet

Chicago’s stated intention is not yet evidence that Giddey’s role will shrink, nor is there confirmed reporting that the Bulls are reconsidering his place in the core. The available evidence points instead to a more demanding version of his role: remain an NBA-quality starter while proving that his influence can be redistributed around Wilson.

That is why Giddey’s next Chicago challenge is bigger than returning from surgery. Rebuilding teams increasingly need established young guards to demonstrate that their games are portable — that they can create when required, contribute when they are not the first option and help a new centrepiece reach his ceiling. For Giddey, the answer begins at camp, where his playmaking, size and off-ball habits will be tested against the player Chicago now hopes can define the next era.

SourcesJOSH GIDDEY MEDICAL UPDATE | Chicago BullsBulls enter 2026-27 season with hopes Caleb Wilson can be "that guy" | Chicago BullsLocks, likelies and long shots for Pistons rotation in 2026-27Season Preview: Chicago BullsSEASON IN REVIEWBulls enter 2026-27 season with hopes Caleb Wilson can be “that guy”Josh Giddey medical update2026-27 Season Preview: Chicago BullsSeason in Review — Chicago Bulls game notesLocks, likelies and long shots for Pistons rotation in 2026-27

Header image: Cade Cunningham, Scotty Barnes, and Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Josh Giddey has been cleared for unrestricted five-on-five work ahead of Chicago’s September 28 training camp, but the Bulls’ final pre-camp week will test more than his availability. His recovery must hold while his career-best playmaking becomes central to a reshaped offence.

Availability is no longer the only question

Josh Giddey enters Chicago’s final week before training camp with the most important medical box apparently ticked: he has been cleared for five-on-five basketball without restrictions. That is a meaningful step after right ankle arthroscopy in May, particularly because the procedure followed a season in which injuries limited him to 54 games.

The Bulls announced after the surgery that Giddey would be sidelined from basketball activities for approximately three months and expected to return for training camp. The latest update indicates he has progressed from rehabilitation into normal competitive work, keeping him on track for Chicago’s September 28 camp opening. (nba.com)

That does not make the ankle irrelevant. Giddey has dealt with recurring right-ankle problems since injuring it while playing for Australia at the 2024 Olympics, and his 2025–26 campaign also included hamstring trouble. The immediate issue is therefore not simply whether he can participate on day one, but whether he can sustain the movement load of a full camp and preseason without restrictions returning.

The numbers have raised the standard

Giddey’s health matters because Chicago is no longer evaluating a low-volume connector. In 2025–26, he produced career highs of 17.0 points, 9.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.4 per cent from three-point range. Those numbers place him at the centre of the Bulls’ offensive organisation rather than on its margins. (nba.com)

His passing remains the clearest foundation. A 9.1-assist season already made Giddey one of the league’s more productive half-court initiators, while his size allows Chicago to create advantages through defensive rebounds, early advances and cross-matches. The next question is whether the ankle allows him to attack those actions with the same pace and confidence, especially when defenders go under screens or load up against his left-hand drives.

There is also a narrower shooting test. The 36.4 per cent three-point mark was a career best, but a single improved season does not remove the need for opponents to be punished consistently. Giddey’s expanded offensive responsibility will be real only if his passing, driving and shooting continue to reinforce one another rather than allowing defences to take away his preferred routes.

September 28 is the first practical checkpoint

Chicago’s camp will provide the first controlled evidence of whether Giddey’s recovery has translated into basketball readiness. The Bulls can manage contact and workload in the opening sessions, but the useful indicators will be more specific: how often he handles the ball, whether he changes direction freely, how he responds to consecutive high-intensity possessions and whether his defensive movement is trusted in live line-ups.

That makes the timing important. The team’s initial expectation was a healthy training-camp return, and the five-on-five clearance suggests the timetable has been met. But a clearance is not the same as proof that the ankle will be a non-factor across an 82-game season. Giddey’s 54 appearances last season are the context Chicago cannot ignore, even though the surgery was intended to address the ankle problem rather than merely manage symptoms. (nba.com)

The opening week should therefore be read as a workload and fit evaluation, not a referendum on whether Giddey can play. If he completes camp normally, Chicago can build around the version that averaged near double-digit assists and supplied reliable secondary rebounding. If the Bulls need to limit him, the offensive hierarchy and rotation combinations will require more caution.

The scrutiny is justified, not premature

Giddey’s position is unusually clear: he is expected to be healthy, he is entering the season off the best statistical campaign of his career, and Chicago has committed long term to him. The remaining uncertainty is whether those three facts can coexist over a full season.

That is why the final pre-camp week matters. The ankle recovery is no longer a distant offseason storyline, while the offensive expansion is no longer theoretical. On September 28, the Bulls will begin testing whether their primary organiser can carry a larger share of the offence and remain available enough for that responsibility to matter.

SourcesBulls guard Josh Giddey (ankle) undergoes arthroscopic surgery | NBA.comBulls guard Josh Giddey (ankle) undergoes arthroscopic surgeryJosh Giddey (ankle) cleared to play 5-on-5Bulls’ Josh Giddey, Kings’ Keegan Murray both undergo ankle surgery, should be ready for training campBulls Bullets: Josh Giddey & Caleb Wilson Break Down Film

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Ben Simmons has the NBA lifeline he needed. Now the Sacramento season becomes the clearest test of whether Australia can trust him with a major Boomers role at the 2027 FIBA World Cup.

The NBA return changes the Boomers conversation

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA, but Sacramento’s one-year deal has immediately created a second test: can he turn an opportunity into evidence that Australia should build around him at the 2027 FIBA World Cup?

The Sacramento Kings officially signed Simmons on September 8, confirming a return after he missed the entire 2025-26 season. NBA.com reported the agreement as a one-year, US$3.5 million contract, while the Kings described the terms as undisclosed. Either way, the important part for the Boomers is that Simmons has a competitive runway again — and a chance to prove his body can withstand the demands of regular professional basketball. (nba.com)

Australia has already made its interest clear

This is not a speculative national-team storyline manufactured from a contract announcement. Simmons has publicly identified the Boomers as part of his comeback plans, attending the player-led CourtSide Melbourne camp alongside Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale. FIBA reported in November 2025 that Simmons had spoken openly about wanting to play for Australia, while NBL.com.au later reported that he had impressed during the Melbourne camp. (fiba.basketball)

The endorsement has also come from inside the Boomers orbit. Brian Goorjian said Simmons could transform Australia if his Sacramento comeback marked a healthy new chapter, while Andrew Gaze named him as his “smokey” to make the 2027 World Cup squad. Those comments establish the ceiling of the discussion: Simmons is not being viewed merely as another experienced option, but as a player who could alter the team’s structure. (league.nbl.com.au)

Sacramento becomes the selection evidence

The question now is not whether Simmons remains talented enough to be considered. It is whether he can produce a season substantial enough for Adam Caporn and the Boomers selectors to make him part of the main rotation without compromising the team’s balance.

Simmons’ value to Australia has always been tied to his ability to do several jobs at once: initiate offence, defend bigger players, rebound from the guard line and push the ball in transition. That skill set could complement Giddey rather than compete directly with him, allowing Australia to place two large playmakers on the floor and attack mismatches before defences are set. Daniels would add point-of-attack pressure, while Landale could benefit from quicker decisions and more direct interior passing.

But that is the theoretical version of Simmons. Sacramento must first show that the practical version is available. NBA.com noted that his last NBA action came in the 2024-25 season, when he averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 51 games for Brooklyn and the LA Clippers. He then sat out the following season while dealing with back and leg issues. (nba.com)

What Australia needs to see

The Boomers do not necessarily need Simmons to become an All-Star again. They need a reliable body, a functional defensive role and enough offensive aggression to stop opponents ignoring him away from the ball.

That makes Sacramento’s season meaningful even if Simmons’ box-score production stays modest. A consistent workload, availability through the NBA calendar and evidence that he can defend multiple positions would strengthen the case for selection. So would a willingness to attack space, finish possessions and make quick reads alongside another primary ball-handler.

The risk is obvious. If his minutes remain restricted, his health becomes a weekly question or his offensive limitations force Australia to reshape its spacing, the Boomers may decide that his reputation is carrying more weight than his current form. The national team’s preparation cannot be built around what Simmons was in Philadelphia; it has to reflect what he is able to do in Sacramento in 2026-27.

The verdict will come later, not now

Simmons is not yet a confirmed Boomers selection, and no official World Cup roster decision has been made. The current reporting supports interest, preparation and strong internal optimism — not a guaranteed place. (fiba.basketball)

That distinction is crucial. Sacramento has given Simmons the platform, but Australia will need the evidence. If he stays healthy and re-establishes himself as a useful, versatile NBA contributor, the Boomers will have a genuine selection decision on their hands: whether to place a former first overall pick at the centre of a new-look playmaking group with Giddey and Daniels. If he cannot, the conversation will shift from transformation to contingency.

For now, the Kings comeback is more than an NBA rehabilitation project. It is the first sustained audition for whether Ben Simmons can finally become the international force Australian basketball has been waiting to see.

SourcesKings Sign Ben Simmons | Sacramento KingsBen Simmons eyes Boomers debut: "That's why I'm here" - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers | FIBA BasketballGoorjian says Simmons could transform BoomersBen Simmons agrees to one-year deal with Kings | NBA.comKings Sign Ben Simmons — Sacramento KingsBen Simmons agrees to one-year deal with Kings — NBA.comBen Simmons eyes Boomers debut — FIBA BasketballGoorjian says Simmons could transform Boomers — NBL.com.auGaze selects his 'World Cup smokey' — NBL.com.au

Header image: AI-generated editorial illustration.

Josh Giddey is no longer simply one of Australia’s most promising NBA players. With Chicago’s long-term commitment secured and a player-led Boomers camp bringing the national team’s leading voices together, his next challenge is helping define what Australia’s established core looks like — including where Ben Simmons fits.

The contract is old news. The responsibility is not.

Josh Giddey’s four-year, US$100 million agreement with the Chicago Bulls was completed in September 2025, not this week. That distinction matters because the contract itself is no longer the development story. It is now the baseline against which Giddey’s status, influence and expectations are judged entering the 2026-27 NBA season. ESPN reported at the time that the deal established Giddey as Chicago’s cornerstone starting point guard, while the NBA’s official release documented the production that underpinned the investment: 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in his first Bulls season. (espn.com)

For Australia, the significance is broader than the salary figure. Basketball.com.au’s recent contract overview identifies Giddey and Dyson Daniels as the country’s joint-highest-paid active NBA players, each on four-year, US$100 million deals. That gives the Boomers two young perimeter players with financial security and organisational status before their primes — a different foundation from the previous cycle, which was built around established veterans such as Patty Mills, Joe Ingles and Matthew Dellavedova. (basketball.com.au)

Why Giddey is the useful lens

Giddey is the clearest lens because his value to Australia is not confined to scoring or positional labels. His size, rebounding from the guard position and passing make him a connective player: someone who can organise possessions, advance the ball and create advantages without needing every attack to end with his own shot. That is also why his national-team role is likely to be discussed in leadership terms rather than simply as a question of selection.

The recent player-led mini-camp in Melbourne made that shift visible. NBL.com.au reported that approximately 20 Australian players attended, including Giddey, Daniels, Jock Landale and Ben Simmons, with the group preparing for the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The camp was not a Basketball Australia event, which limits what can be inferred about formal selection or hierarchy. But it does confirm that the players themselves are investing in continuity between major tournaments — and that Giddey is part of the group helping to create it. (nbl.com.au)

Simmons changes the conversation, not Giddey’s place

Ben Simmons’ presence complicates the Boomers’ leadership picture without automatically displacing Giddey. Simmons’ return remains partly prospective: his participation in the August camp was confirmed, but his future national-team role and eventual tournament availability are not guaranteed. NBL.com.au reported that the camp was Simmons’ first involvement around the senior Boomers setup, after his last Australian appearance came at under-17 level. That makes any claim that he has already re-entered the team’s hierarchy premature. (nbl.com.au)

What is confirmed is that Giddey has publicly welcomed the possibility. After seeing Simmons at camp, Giddey described him as looking physically impressive and said Australia would want him involved if he put his hand up. Those comments are significant less as a prediction of selection than as evidence of Giddey’s emerging role inside the national-team conversation: he is discussing how a major returning talent can be integrated, rather than treating the Boomers as a closed group built only around the current NBA players. (nbl.com.au)

The next test is leadership with evidence behind it

That is why the financial and leadership discussion is arriving now. Australia’s NBA core is becoming more secure on paper, but contracts do not automatically produce national-team authority. Giddey’s US$25 million annual average gives him status; Chicago’s decision to build around his playmaking gives him responsibility; the Melbourne camp suggests he is willing to invest in the Boomers beyond tournament windows. The next step is proving that influence through availability, organisation and performance when the national team’s roles become contested.

Simmons’ potential return could ultimately help rather than hinder Giddey if the hierarchy is defined by complementary skills. Simmons could offer size, defensive versatility and transition play, while Giddey remains a primary organiser and half-court connector. That is an inference, not a confirmed Boomers plan. The formal decisions will belong to Basketball Australia and the coaching staff. But the current evidence supports a more precise conclusion: Giddey is no longer merely waiting to inherit leadership from Australia’s older generation. He is already part of the group that must decide how the next one functions.

SourcesJosh Giddey agrees to 4-year, $100M extension with Bulls - ESPNNine Aussies locked in to multi-million '26-27 NBA deals | Basketball.com.auBoomers camp a statement of intentGiddey backs Boomer BenBulls re-sign Josh Giddey to multi-year deal — NBA.comJosh Giddey agrees to 4-year, $100M extension with Bulls — ESPNBoomers camp a statement of intent — NBL.com.auGiddey backs Boomer Ben — NBL.com.auNine Aussies locked in to multi-million ’26-27 NBA deals — Basketball.com.au

Header image: Josh Giddey (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

The first season of Dyson Daniels’ four-year, $100 million extension reframes the question around Australia’s rising NBA earners: defensive value can establish a player, but scalable offence determines whether the investment becomes foundational.

The contract changes the question

Dyson Daniels enters the 2026-27 season as one of Australia’s highest-paid NBA players, with a $25 million salary placing him alongside Josh Giddey in the second tier of Australian NBA earners, according to Basketball.com.au’s September 8 salary overview. That makes Daniels a useful lens for a broader shift: Australian players are no longer merely competing for rotation security or second contracts. Several are now being paid to influence the strategic direction of their teams. (basketball-reference.com)

Atlanta agreed to Daniels’ four-year extension in October 2025. The Hawks did not disclose terms officially, but the reported value was $100 million, and Atlanta’s current contract records list four guaranteed seasons at $25 million each from 2026-27 through 2029-30. The deal is therefore no longer a future reward; this is the first season in which the Hawks’ investment appears directly in the salary structure. (nba.com)

That distinction matters because Daniels’ value is unusually concentrated in areas that do not always show up cleanly in a traditional scoring line. His defensive range, anticipation, rebounding from the guard position and ability to create transition opportunities helped turn him into an All-Defensive First Team player and the 2024-25 Most Improved Player. Atlanta’s own announcement highlighted that he became the first player since 1990-91 to average more than three steals per game in a season. (nba.com)

Defence established the value. Offence must broaden it

The challenge is not to make Daniels a conventional high-volume scorer. It is to ensure that opponents cannot reduce his offensive impact by ignoring him away from the ball or shrinking the floor when he handles it. Basketball-Reference lists his 2025-26 production at 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, with 43.9 per cent shooting from the field and 28.6 per cent from three-point range. Those numbers describe a valuable connector and disruptive defender, but they also identify the pressure point in his contract: reliable half-court offence. (basketball-reference.com)

For Atlanta, the useful improvement is therefore broader than simply adding points. Daniels needs to make the first advantage after a turnover or defensive stop produce a dependable second advantage: a paint touch, a rotation, a free throw or an open shot for a teammate. His transition passing and rebounding already support that process. The next step is reducing possessions in which his defender can remain attached to the Hawks’ primary creators without paying a price elsewhere.

That is why the financial discussion has become more relevant now. A $25 million salary does not require Daniels to become Atlanta’s leading scorer, but it does require his two-way strengths to remain present when playoff opponents have time to target them. The difference between a very good defensive starter and a genuine core piece will be measured by whether his offence survives teams that deliberately concede him space.

Atlanta’s new roster makes the test clearer

The Hawks’ 2026-27 roster gives the issue a different context from the backcourt competition story already covered by OzBallers. Atlanta has added or retained multiple perimeter options, including Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, Aaron Wiggins and first-round guard Kingston Flemings. The official NBA roster also lists Daniels’ 2025-26 line as 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, reinforcing how much of his contribution extends beyond scoring. (nba.com)

The strategic question is how those pieces fit around Daniels rather than whether he simply wins a starting job. Atlanta’s roster construction can allow him to defend the opponent’s best perimeter creator, rebound, push the ball and attack tilted defences. But it can also expose the limits of a non-shooting or inconsistent-shooting guard if the Hawks need to create half-court separation late in possessions. NBA.com’s player coverage has already identified increased competition for Atlanta backcourt minutes after the selection of Flemings at No. 8 in the 2026 draft. (nba.com)

That makes Daniels’ offensive development a team-building issue. If he becomes a credible catch-and-shoot threat and more decisive finisher, Atlanta can use his defensive assignments to dictate match-ups without sacrificing spacing. If not, the Hawks may need to pair him carefully with higher-volume shooters and creators, limiting some of the line-up flexibility that the contract is intended to buy.

The Australian significance

Daniels is the clearest Australian example of the new NBA contract tier because his case tests a wider proposition: can a player earn a major commitment through defence and connective play, then expand that value enough to remain central as the roster changes? The answer will not be settled by one scoring average or a handful of highlight steals.

The meaningful indicators will be steadier. Can Daniels punish defenders who go under screens? Can he turn more defensive rebounds into efficient early offence? Can he maintain playmaking value when Atlanta’s primary creators are available? And can his defensive impact remain elite without forcing the Hawks to hide him offensively?

Those are not demands for a different player. They are the requirements of the player Atlanta has chosen to pay. Daniels has already demonstrated that defensive-minded Australian guards can command a major NBA investment. The 2026-27 season begins the more difficult accounting: proving that his offence can make that investment structurally valuable, not merely defensible.

SourcesAtlanta Hawks Team Payroll | Basketball-Reference.comAtlanta Hawks Sign Dyson Daniels to Multi-Year Contract Extension | Atlanta Hawks2025-26 Atlanta Hawks Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.comAtlanta Hawks Team Info and News | NBA.comDyson Daniels News, Updates & Latest Videos | Atlanta HawksAustralians’ NBA contract status and 2026-27 free agency outlookAtlanta Hawks sign Dyson Daniels to multi-year contract extensionAtlanta Hawks 2026-27 roster and player statisticsAtlanta Hawks team payroll and contracts2025-26 Atlanta Hawks roster and statistics

Header image: YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYqZiMws3Y – View/save archived versions on archive.org (0:16) (CC BY 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Australia’s national-team rebuild is no longer just about fitting every NBA name into one lineup. With Ben Simmons signalling a return and Dyson Daniels emerging as an All-Defensive NBA guard, the Boomers are confronting a more interesting question: who sets the defensive terms, and how does the backcourt share the ball?

The debate has moved beyond selection

The recent player-led Boomers camp in Melbourne has sharpened a conversation that was already coming: Australia’s next national-team version will be built around an unusually deep NBA core, but depth does not automatically create clarity.

Ben Simmons’ public desire to represent Australia again is the obvious catalyst. The 30-year-old has not played for the senior Boomers, while Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Jock Landale and other established or emerging internationals have now created a genuine NBA spine. Simmons’ appearance at the camp, alongside about 20 Australian players, made his return a live basketball discussion rather than a distant possibility. It remains reporting and aspiration, not a confirmed tournament selection. (league.nbl.com.au)

That is why Daniels is the most useful Australian lens. The question is not simply whether Simmons should be picked. It is how Australia’s defensive identity and backcourt hierarchy change if Simmons is available, healthy and willing to accept a role within a group that has developed without him.

Daniels is no longer a theoretical fit

Daniels enters that discussion with considerably more leverage than he had during Australia’s last major tournament cycle. In Atlanta, he has become the reference point for a defence built on length, anticipation and pressure at the point of attack. The Hawks’ 2025-26 notes list him among the league leaders in steals and deflections, while also highlighting his rebounding and his role in Atlanta’s improved defensive rating after the All-Star break. He was also named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team. (nba.com)

That matters for the Boomers because Daniels is not merely a guard who can defend. He is a lineup organiser on that end. He can pick up the ball early, switch across positions, rebound above his position and turn a deflection into transition before an opponent can establish its halfcourt shape. Atlanta’s own coverage of its defensive surge described Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the starting point for the Hawks’ perimeter pressure. (nba.com)

Australia has long valued defensive versatility, but Daniels’ NBA development gives the next Boomers group a specialist with enough size and instincts to let the rest of the lineup become more aggressive. His role should not be reduced to chasing opposing point guards while everyone else plays offence. He can be the defensive trigger.

Where Simmons changes the geometry

Simmons would complicate — and potentially improve — that design. At his best, he gives Australia a 6-foot-10 ball-handler who can rebound, defend multiple positions and get downhill without needing a high volume of halfcourt touches. That profile could allow Daniels to spend more possessions as a disruptive secondary creator rather than carrying every initiation responsibility.

The spacing question is unavoidable. A Simmons-Daniels-Giddey grouping would place three oversized playmakers on the floor, but it would also ask opponents to respect enough shooting and cutting to prevent the Boomers from becoming too easy to load up against. The answer may be role clarity rather than a rigid first-choice lineup: Daniels attacking tilted defences, Giddey controlling the tempo and Simmons screening, facilitating, defending and punishing smaller matchups.

Simmons’ camp form has been positively described by Giddey and Daniels, but those observations do not settle the international question. The meaningful test will be sustained professional availability, defensive mobility and whether his offensive role can fit beside Australia’s current creators. (league.nbl.com.au)

The hierarchy Australia can build around

The encouraging part is that Daniels does not need Simmons to validate his place. His NBA trajectory has already shifted him from promising defensive prospect to established defensive piece: Atlanta signed him to a multiyear extension after his breakout 2024-25 season, when he won Most Improved Player and earned All-Defensive First Team recognition. (nba.com)

That gives the Boomers a useful foundation for the selection debate. Simmons’ potential return should not displace Daniels from the team’s defensive centre of gravity; it should force Australia to decide how much creation it wants from each oversized guard and how aggressively it can defend behind them.

The camp matters now because the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics provide a clear runway, while the player-led format suggests the NBA core is taking ownership of its alignment. The next step is not collecting names. It is building a system in which Daniels’ pressure, Giddey’s orchestration and Simmons’ possible two-way versatility reinforce one another rather than compete for the same oxygen. For Australia, that is the real rebuild: not finding room for every star, but defining what the Boomers want to be when all of them are available.

SourcesBoomers stars back Ben's green and gold returnWembanyama, Holmgren lead 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Defensive Teams | NBA.comDyson Daniels & Nickeil Alexander-Walker forming dynamic defensive duo for Hawks | Atlanta HawksDyson Daniels signs four-year extension with Hawks | NBA.comBoomers stars back Ben's green and gold returnGiddey backs Boomer Ben2025-26 REG. SEASON — Atlanta Hawks game notesWembanyama, Holmgren lead 2025-26 Kia NBA All-Defensive TeamsDyson Daniels & Nickeil Alexander-Walker forming dynamic defensive duo for Hawks

Header image: YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oYqZiMws3Y – View/save archived versions on archive.org (0:16) (CC BY 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Josh Giddey enters September with his long-term place in Chicago secure and his return from right-ankle surgery on schedule. The unresolved question is how the Bulls turn his passing and rebounding value into dependable halfcourt scoring that opponents must respect.

The uncertainty has changed

Josh Giddey is no longer approaching the 2026-27 season as a player whose contract status could define Chicago’s planning. His four-year, US$100 million deal runs through 2028-29, with US$25 million scheduled for the coming season and the remaining money fully guaranteed. That makes him the Bulls’ largest 2026-27 cap hit, according to contract databases tracking the league’s payrolls. (nba.com)

The financial commitment matters because it changes the evaluation. Chicago is not deciding whether Giddey is worth retaining; it is deciding how much offensive responsibility should sit with him, and which types of line-ups can make that responsibility productive. The contract is a vote of confidence in his overall value, not proof that every part of his offensive game is solved.

A productive lead playmaker, with one obvious pressure point

The statistical base is substantial. The NBA lists Giddey’s 2025-26 averages at 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. Those numbers describe a high-involvement initiator: he can advance the ball, create advantages with his size and pass over the top of a defence, while also contributing as a defensive rebounder. (cdn-uat.nba.com)

But all-around production does not automatically create halfcourt pressure. For Giddey to function as the lead guard on a serious offence, defenders must be punished for going under screens, helping off him or crowding Chicago’s other creators. His next development target is therefore less about adding another category to the box score and more about making his existing playmaking harder to contain.

That means reliable pull-up shooting, quicker decisions against a sagging defender and enough three-point volume to alter defensive spacing even on possessions when he does not receive the ball. This is an analytical inference from his role and roster value rather than a reported change in his programme.

The ankle makes the timing important

Giddey’s immediate priority is still availability. The Bulls announced on May 13, 2026, that he had undergone successful arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle. The team said he would be sidelined from basketball activities for approximately three months and expected him to return for the start of training camp. The Associated Press independently reported the same timetable while noting that hamstring and ankle problems had restricted him to 54 games in 2025-26. (nba.com)

That schedule places the focus of the final offseason stretch on progression rather than public declarations. A return to camp would be an important checkpoint, but it would not answer whether Giddey can immediately carry a larger halfcourt burden. Conditioning, lateral movement and comfort changing direction will shape how aggressively Chicago can use him early in the season.

Chicago needs the fit to do some work

The Bulls’ roster is also being reshaped around a younger backcourt and more shooting-oriented support. Chicago’s official 2025-26 season review records the February additions of Collin Sexton and Jaden Ivey, while the NBA’s offseason reporting notes the arrival of veteran scorer Norman Powell and the selection of Caleb Wilson in the 2026 draft. (api-hub.nba.com)

Those moves could help Giddey, provided they clarify rather than dilute his role. More downhill threats and credible perimeter options can give him easier passing reads and reduce the number of possessions in which he must manufacture an advantage from a static start. Conversely, if the spacing remains inconsistent, opponents can continue to test his jumper and force Chicago into late-clock creation.

That is why the coming season should be judged on more than whether Giddey repeats his rebounding and assist totals. With his contract secured and his ankle expected to be ready for camp, the meaningful question is whether Chicago can make his passing a multiplier rather than a substitute for halfcourt scoring. The answer will determine how much value the Bulls extract from their largest financial commitment — and whether Giddey’s next step is statistical or structural.

SourcesBulls re-sign Josh Giddey to multi-year deal | NBA.comBulls guard Josh Giddey (ankle) undergoes arthroscopic surgery | NBA.comJOSH GIDDEY MEDICAL UPDATE | Chicago BullsBulls, Norman Powell agree to 2-year deal | NBA.comBulls re-sign Josh Giddey to multi-year dealJosh Giddey medical updateBulls guard Josh Giddey undergoes arthroscopic surgeryJosh Giddey NBA player profile2025-26 Chicago Bulls season review

The conversation around Australia’s next NBA generation has become louder after a Melbourne mini-camp. Giddey’s role in it offers a more useful question than a headcount: can the Boomers turn expanding international representation into a genuinely deeper team by 2027 and 2028?

The numbers are becoming a feeling

Josh Giddey has spent much of his Australian career being asked to represent the future. At 23, he is now being asked to help organise it. That distinction matters as the Boomers look towards the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The latest discussion began with a player-led Melbourne mini-camp that assembled established NBA contributors, NBL veterans and prospects in the same gym. Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale were joined by Ben Simmons, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Jack McVeigh, Alex Toohey, Lachlan Olbrich, Luke Paul and Dash Daniels, according to reporting from ESPN and NBL.com.au. The camp was not a Basketball Australia tournament or selection camp, so it cannot prove chemistry, readiness or availability. It did, however, make the depth question visible in a way a spreadsheet cannot. (league.nbl.com.au)

That is why the conversation is happening now. Australia’s possible 2027 pool no longer depends on identifying one or two replacement stars for the Tokyo and Paris generation. A current roster exercise from Basketball.com.au listed as many as 50 players across NBA, NBL, college and overseas pathways, including Giddey, Daniels, Landale, Josh Green, Matisse Thybulle, Johnny Furphy, Tyrese Proctor, Rocco Zikarsky and Alex Condon. A long list is not the same as a strong team, but it is evidence of a wider talent base than the Boomers could routinely call upon a decade ago. (basketball.com.au)

Giddey is the right lens

Giddey sits at the centre of the argument because his value to Australia is not reducible to NBA employment. He is a 203-centimetre creator who can rebound, initiate offence and connect line-ups without needing every possession to become a scoring duel. At the 2024 Olympics he averaged 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists, according to FIBA, while Australia reached the quarter-finals. That résumé makes him an established international engine, not merely another Australian on an NBA roster. (fiba.basketball)

His recent assessment — that Australian talent is “as good as it’s ever been” — is best read as both belief and responsibility. Giddey is old enough to recognise the gap between potential and tournament basketball, but young enough to be part of the group expected to close it. He is not standing outside the next Boomers generation and describing it. He is one of its organising pieces.

That is also why his support for Simmons’ possible return carries more weight than a routine endorsement. Simmons has not yet made his senior Boomers debut, and his involvement in the Melbourne camp remains a step in a process rather than confirmation of a 2027 roster place. NBL.com.au reported that Giddey believes Simmons still has NBA-level impact and could contribute to Australia’s World Cup push. The practical question is not whether Simmons’ name improves the theoretical ceiling; it is whether his health, role and availability can become dependable enough for a national team to build around. (league.nbl.com.au)

Depth must survive the hard questions

The Boomers’ expanding depth is genuine in one sense: there are more Australians capable of entering NBA conversations, earning rotation minutes or becoming serious international options. Joe Ingles recently identified a prospective core led by Giddey and Daniels, with Landale, Thybulle and Josh Green also capable of affecting games at the highest level. The emergence of Bryce Cotton as an international option adds another difficult selection conversation in the backcourt. (league.nbl.com.au)

But visibility can exaggerate depth. NBA roster places are not interchangeable, and a promising prospect is not automatically a proven FIBA contributor. Australia still has to answer questions about shooting, half-court creation, positional balance and the age curve of Mills, Dellavedova and other veterans. The more players available, the more difficult — and more revealing — those decisions become.

For Giddey, that is the human meaning of this moment. He is moving from being the exciting teenager who joined the Boomers early to becoming the player expected to make a crowded room coherent. The next generation will not be judged by how many Australians appear in NBA team lists. It will be judged by whether Giddey can lead a group with enough two-way skill, trust and flexibility to win games when the novelty has disappeared.

So the 2027-28 ceiling is real, but conditional. Australia is deeper than it was; the evidence is in the breadth of the candidate pool and the quality of the names now competing for roles. Whether it is deep enough to contend for another medal will depend on converting that abundance into fit. Giddey’s task is not simply to anchor the roster. It is to help turn Australian visibility into Australian substance.

SourcesREPORT: Boomers big guns taking part in mini-campBuild your own Boomers 2027 World Cup team | Basketball.com.auFrom U17 to WC 2027: Giddey impressed with Australia's future talent | FIBA BasketballGiddey backs Boomer BenNew era Boomers can win medals: InglesGiddey backs Boomer Ben“As good as it’s ever been”: Giddey’s big Boomers callFrom U17 to WC 2027: Giddey impressed with Australia’s future talentBuild your own Boomers 2027 World Cup teamReport: Boomers big guns taking part in mini-camp