Just over two years ago, the Chicago Bulls re-signed then-32-year-old Nikola Vucevic to a three-year, $60 million contract extension following a strong 2022-23 campaign. That season, the Montenegrin big man averaged 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 52.0 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Although Vucevic was still producing at a high level as he aged, there wasn’t much, if any, reason at all to extend him for three more seasons. Yes, the Bulls traded a hefty sum to acquire him—including a young former top-10 pick, Wendell Carter Jr., and two first-rounders, but that didn’t mean he had to be re-signed for three more seasons.

The Bulls had just come off a disappointing 40-win season despite featuring a roster littered with high-end talent, namely Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Vucevic. That same season, the Bulls even added defensive dynamo Patrick Beverley in the buyout market. It was evident that the Bulls aimed to win games.

Arturas Karnisovas roster-building strategy was once maligned

Nevertheless, even with perhaps the healthiest squad in recent memory, the Bulls failed to reach .500. After things had gone downhill since Lonzo Ball’s injury in 2022, Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas remained intent on running it back with an indubitably mediocre roster.

The same thing cannot be said of the present iteration of the Bulls. After holding onto DeRozan, LaVine, and especially Vucevic for far too long, Karnišovas has been more decisive with his decision-making as of late.

The VP of Basketball Operations sent Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for 24-year-old Isaac Okoro in June—a trade eerily similar to the Caruso for Josh Giddey swap a year prior. Instead of jettisoning a veteran for draft capital, Karnišovas bet on a relatively distressed young asset’s potential, assuming it was held back on his previous squad.

Although his approach differed from previous years, Karnišovas didn’t hurry to re-sign the player he had parted with a valuable asset to acquire. And no, not Okoro—he’s under contract for two more seasons—but rather Giddey, who arrived in Chicago entering the final year of his rookie deal.

It seems rather obvious, but Karnišovas was right not to extend Giddey as soon as he came to the Windy City. Even a year ago, the Australian point guard reportedly hankered for a $150 million contract extension—one similar to fellow draft classmate Jalen Suggs.

Yet, the Bulls wanted to see how Giddey fit in, and the fit proved nicely, especially after Chicago dealt LaVine to Sacramento prior to the trade deadline. Giddey exceeded expectations, averaging a near-triple-double following LaVine’s departure.

Therefore, it seems likely he’d immediately be re-signed once free agency opened… right? Wrong, as we know, Giddey remains a free agent, and an end to the conundrum isn’t in sight. Although it’d be great for Bulls fans to see Giddey back in Chicago, it’s a revelation to see that Karnišovas isn’t repeating the same mistakes that doomed the Bulls and their finances through the early 2020s.