Restricted free agency is an antiquated concept in conflict with the current NBA CBA designed to penalize teams for overspending.

Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes are in limbo because no one has the cap space to sign these guys to the contracts they deserve.

The Chicago Bulls have finally struck a deal with their restricted free agent, Josh Giddey.

Josh Giddy-UP

Just in: Restricted free agent Josh Giddey has reached agreement on a four-year, $100 million deal to re-sign with the Chicago Bulls, agent Daniel Moldovan of Lighthouse Sports Management tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/RtJqf7P679

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 9, 2025

Josh Giddey is now the highest-paid player on the Chicago Bulls.

Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season.

At 22 years old—the Bulls have pinned down a cornerstone of their franchise.

After finally dealing Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings—throwing a lit match on the gasoline De’Aaron Fox and Mike Brown poured all over the organization on their way out—Josh Giddey emerged as a key role player—capable of pushing the ball up court to pick the pace up—and using his size to become the team’s second-best rebounder.

And after taking a peek at the Bulls cap sheet—Josh Giddey may be the only player on the 2025-26 Bulls who is still on the team when the season ends.

Here are all the Bulls going into 25-26 with expiring contracts:

• Nikola Vucevic
• Zach Collins
• Kevin Huerter
• Coby White
• Ayo Dosunmu
• Jevon Carter
• Julian Phillips (team option)

The Bulls have about $90 million coming off their books after this year.

The team would be Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams (yuck), Isaac Okoro, Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith.

Locking in Josh Giddey for a cheap $100 million over the next 4 years is a smart move.

If Giddey becomes a reliable 3-point shooter—he will become the type of player you want on a championship roster.

The Bulls now face a fork in the road.

1. The Bulls can trade some of these expiring contracts to teams seeking to offload players with undesirable long-term contracts—assuming they attach future first-round picks in the deal.

If the Milwaukee Bucks want to get off Kyle Kuzma’s contract, and they fucking should—the Bulls have the expiring contracts to match.

Although, that may be a bad example.

I feel like the Bucks have negative first-round picks.

But you know what I mean.

Trade Nikola Vucevic for a bad contract and some picks—and you build the Bulls similarly to how the OKC Thunder built their championship team.

Josh Giddey is only 22 and he can sit around and lose for a while until the Bulls hit the lotto in the draft.

2. Let all these players hit the marke— get that credit card out and start shopping.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be available.

Maybe they’ll want to team up with the great, Isaac Okoro.

Or more realistically, guys like Norman Powell and Austin Reeves will be free agents next summer.

Or even restricted free agents like Jalen Duren or Benedict Mathurin.

Fuck it, bring in Trae Young or James Harden.

The Bulls will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch next summer.

OR, they’ll just re-sign all of those expiring guys—continuing their quest to participate in every single play-in game ever.

The Knicks are collecting ring chasers

Free agent guard Malcolm Brogdon has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, agent Sam Permut of Roc Nation tells ESPN. Entering his 10th NBA season, the former Sixth Man of the Year gives the Knicks key backcourt depth and reserve playmaking. pic.twitter.com/JyVAywF2gj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 12, 2025

Free agent guard Landry Shamet has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the New York Knicks, his agent George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN. Shamet stays with the Knicks for his 8th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/oFtvDcLIA4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2025

The Knicks have signed Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet to non-guaranteed contracts—assuming the two vets will be competing for the final roster spot.

The New York Knicks made the 2nd round of the playoffs back-to-back seasons—before making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season and falling two wins shy of advancing to the NBA Finals.

For the first time, honestly, in my entire life—the New York Knicks are entering an NBA season as a legit title favorite.

We have veterans fighting for the opportunity to rack up DNPs here.

The back end of the bench used to be guys like Cleanthony Early and Ronaldo Balkman.

Malcolm Brogdon won the 6th Man of the Year Award two years ago. And he won’t even touch the floor—but he still wants to be here for the possibility of winning a title.

As a Knicks fan, this is the most pressure I’ve ever felt. Every possession matters.

I’m sweating just typing this.

I’m not going to survive.

If I have a heart attack—please tell my ex-girlfriend to return my hoodies to my family.

Andrew Wiggins Will Solve Everything

While the Lakers had resisted scenarios in which the team would take on contracts that lasted beyond the 2025-26 season earlier this summer, Dončić’s multi-year commitment has nudged LA’s priorities in more aggressive directions.

One area the team is focused on is upgrading the wing, where it needs more two-way talent. A player like Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, whom the Lakers weren’t interested in earlier this summer, is now a more desirable player, provided the price is right.

Wiggins, who turns 31 in February, is due $28.2 million this year and has a player option for $30.1 million for 2026-27. Marc Stein linked the Lakers and Wiggins in his newsletter earlier this week. (The Athletic)

In the heat of LeBron James’s romantic return to Cleveland—the Cavaliers traded No. 1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins—to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.

The Cavs would win the championship the following year—while Andrew Wiggins would average the most meaningless 19.7 points per game in his 6 disappointing seasons in Minneapolis.

The first pick in the draft had all the tools to be one of the greats—but night after night—Wiggins showed up to work with none of the energy, intensity, focus or effort required to reach his potential.

Andrew Wiggins, in 11 NBA seasons, made 1 All-Star team in 2022—before being an instrumental role player for the Golden State Warriors championship run—including a Game 4 against the Boston Celtics in the Finals in which Wiggins scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

He genuinely had a case to win Finals MVP.

He earned a 4-year $109 million extension with Golden State—then he vanished.

Literally.

After winning the title and getting paid—Wiggins played only 37 games in a mysterious disappearance away from the team that was so private, it still has yet to be reported where he was or what happened to him.

Recognizing the possibility of a truly brutal personal loss—I don’t want to hold it against him—but Wiggins never consistently made an impact in Golden State outside of 1 insane playoff run.

The Warriors traded Wiggins to the Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler last season—where Andrew, once again—averaged a meaningless 19 points a game.

Last season, after acquiring Luka Doncic—one of the best basketball players on planet Earth—the Lakers were dogwalked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a first-round series I wouldn’t describe as “competitive“.

Surely, Andrew Wiggins is the secret sauce absent from their championship recipe.

The Lakers desperately need a perennial loser—who doesn’t even seem to enjoy his job.

Wiggins has always been one of the highest-paid players in the NBA—and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him try.

I am praying the Lakers trade for Wiggins. [Sabrina Carpenter voice] Please, please, please surround LeBron James with DeAndre Ayton and Andrew Wiggins in what will most likely be his final NBA season. LeBron might retire midseason. He got his son into the NBA. His job is done.

Andrew Wiggins is going to shit that man’s hairline even further back.

PLEASE trade for Wiggins. We deserve this.

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