By Nadia Salemme
The Australian guard was reportedly offered a 鈥渜ualifying鈥 $A45.4 million per year ($US30 million) multi-year deal by the team late last week, as he enters restricted free agency, sources told ESPN.
Speaking to Stellar prior to the reported offer, the 22-year-old indicated he wanted to stay with the Bulls after a breakout season.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to stay in Chicago. I would love for it to work out that way,鈥 Giddey told Stellar in an exclusive interview.
鈥淏ut, it鈥檚 a business and I understand how the NBA works. It will happen hopefully soon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say because a lot of it is not on me 鈥 a lot of it is between my agent and the Bulls front office.鈥
As he threw an NFL football around a backyard in Beverly Hills, Melbourne-born Giddey mused about the reality of being a restricted free agent.
鈥淸It] basically means the Bulls have the rights to me,鈥 Giddey said, adding: 鈥渢he only way I could leave is if a team offered me a contract and the Bulls didn鈥檛 match it, salary-wise鈥.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 basically what it is,鈥 Giddey said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e 鈥榰nrestricted鈥, you can pick where you want to go. 鈥楻estricted鈥 kind of ties you to that team unless they don鈥檛 match an offer that another team gives you.鈥
Giddey reflected on his career with the Chicago Bulls 鈥 after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder last year 鈥 and the real price of fame.
鈥淚 would love to be unknown sometimes,鈥 Giddey told Stellar.
鈥淚 am not complaining; there are definitely good things to come with it.
鈥淏ut everything you do is magnified and you always have a spotlight on you following you around.
鈥淚 guess it comes with being an NBA player 鈥 there are definitely times where I鈥檇 like to be a regular guy and blend in.
鈥淭here are days where I鈥檇 love to be able to walk around with my friends and nobody know who I was 鈥 and do normal things that I used to do when I was just a kid.鈥
During Stellar鈥檚 interview, Giddey was in off-season mode, 鈥渟itting in the backyard, with my trainer, laying in the sun, throwing the football around鈥.
He continued: 鈥淎s soon as you go out into the public eye, things become a little different鈥.
鈥淚t becomes a little harder to do normal things. I鈥檓 not going to sit here and complain.
鈥淏ut at times, you just wish nobody knew who you were and you could operate a normal life, like everybody else.鈥
Part of embracing that 鈥渞eal life鈥 outside of his huge NBA fame is Giddey鈥檚 close friendship with childhood BFF and fellow Melbourne-born NBA star, Dyson Daniels.
The pair are set to unveil their joint venture, CourtSide 鈥 a state-of-the-art basketball facility in Melbourne that will span four basketball courts, a gym, saunas, a recovery centre, and a retail precinct designed for from children playing at a grassroots level to professional athletes.
Daniels and Giddey 鈥 who are both 22 鈥 have been friends for more than a decade; they met while playing junior basketball.
In their recent joint shoot with Stellar, the pair shared playful banter on set, with Giddey called Daniels his 鈥渓ittle brother鈥.
Of their friendship, Daniels 鈥 who was named the NBA鈥檚 Most Improved Player last season for his elite defence 鈥 said: 鈥淲e kind of went through every phase of life together. We鈥檝e grown up together.鈥
For more from Stellar, click here.