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Josh Giddey had time for a troll on social media.
The Chicago Bulls’ season ended on April 16. Josh Giddey is headed for restricted free agency, leaving the Bulls with a significant decision to make. But Giddey needs more time to decompress, especially when it comes to criticism from fans.
The former Oklahoma City Thunder lottery pick and star had a breakout season with the Bulls.
But one Bulls fan trolled Giddey’s DARKO Career O-DPM Progression in comparison to Indiana Pacers PG Tyrese Haliburton. Giddey asked the fan for a reprieve.
“Damn bro at least wait till the next season start back up to go back to hating on me [streaming tears emoji],” Giddey said in response to the fan’s post posted on X on May 7. “Give me a breather over the off season lol.”
“DARKO, aka Daily Plus-Minus or DPM, is created by Kostya Medvedovsky. DARKO (stands for “Daily Adjusted and Regressed Kalman Optimized“) is a composite predictive metric that uses box score and plus-minus stats,” NBA Stuffer explained. “By blending these components in proportion to the number of total possessions of a player, recent performance is weighted more heavily to better predict future game outcomes.”
Giddey’s name was mentioned by happenstance.
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell praised Haliburton, whose last-second heroics lifted the Pacers to a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2025 playoffs, in a post on X on May 6.
O’Donnell made no mention of Giddey. A fan did, accusing O’Donnell, a Bulls fan, of favoritism for Haliburton despite Giddey’s numbers being comparable in their eyes.
Another fan posted the graphic, which Giddey’s agitator quoted, to dispute the notion.
Josh Giddey Troll a Reminder Bulls Passed on Tyrese Haliburton
GettyThe Chicago Bulls passed on Tyrese Haliburton to select Patrick Williams No. 4 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Haliburton, who is on a five-year, $244.6 million contract, has outdone Giddey in most metrics, as rebounding stands out as the Bulls guard’s lone advantage.
Giddey was the No. 6 pick in the 2021 draft. The Bulls would have owned the No. 8 pick that season (Franz Wagner) had they not traded the selection to the Orlando Magic in a package for Nikola Vučević before the deadline. They selected Ayo Dosunmu 38th overall instead.
Haliburton was the No. 12 pick in the 2020 draft.
The Bulls had the opportunity to select him, but they passed. Instead, the Bulls pulled off a surprising move and selected Patrick Williams No. 4 overall.
Since then, Williams has struggled to live up to his draft stock, with injuries and inconsistency both playing a significant part. However, the Bulls still rewarded him with a five-year, $90 million contract. He again failed to live up to expectations in 2024-25 and has landed in trade rumors.
Haliburton, drafted by the Sacramento Kings, was traded to the Pacers during the 2021-22 season.
He is also a two-time All-Star and was a first-team All-NBA pick in 2023-24.
Haliburton led the league in assists that season and was third in Rookie of the Year voting. Having him would have solved a lot of issues the Bulls encountered when Lonzo Ball suffered his career-altering knee injury in January 2022.
The Bulls could have avoided acquiring Ball in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans in August 2021 (or Giddey in 2024) if they had Haliburton already in the fold.
Josh Giddey’s Production a Likely Focus in Contract Talks
GettyJosh Giddey was productive with the Bulls and could seek a significant payday in restricted free agency.
The Bulls traded for Giddey amid ongoing concerns about Ball after the latter missed more than two years in recovery. Now, the franchise must determine how much they truly value him, with reports that he could seek $30 million or more annually.
Giddey said in March that he was “happy” with the Bulls.
“Obviously this [Chicago] is somewhere I’m very happy. It feels like home…”
On Today Show Australia, Josh Giddey talked about his upcoming contract extension and how much he enjoys playing here in Chicago for the Bulls 👀🔴
🎥: @TheTodayShow
Of course, the Bulls could also have leverage in talks with Giddey.
“The harsh conditions of restricted free agency and the lack of offers that may come with it could get the Bulls to offer him something in the low $20 million range annually,” Third Apron’s Yossi Gazalan wrote on May 4. “An annual salary in the $25 million range could be his ceiling and ultimately a fair compromise.”
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
