Chicago Bulls star guard Josh Giddey is getting ever closer to a return after being sidelined since December 29th with a hamstring injury, based on a new update.
The Bulls recently assigned Giddey to their G-League affiliate, Windy City Bulls, before recalling him back to the first team just a few hours later. They likely made the move to have him practice with the team as a gauge for his injury progress as a potential return nears.
While now officially listed as day-to-day on the Bulls injury report, the move comes after Giddey was upgraded from out to doubtful before their recent win against the Brooklyn Nets. He didn’t end up playing, but he has been out for more than three weeks, a return looks like it will come soon.
On the season, Giddey is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and nine assists on 46.6% shooting in 30 games.
Josh Giddey Injury Update
Though still no direct timeline or actual date on a return, all of the news on Giddey is good news for the Bulls.
Recently, before all the availability changes and assignment and recalling, Chicago head coach Billy Donovan gave an update on the team’s star guard.
“There is some hope, maybe on Sunday, that (Josh) can get into practice with those (G-League) guys and get at least some playing,” Donovan said on Giddey. “So far, with the ramp-up that’s started, there’s been no setbacks. I think he feels pretty good. But I’d like to see him get into one of those practices and see where he’s at. But he’s certainly progressing in a good way, and I feel good where he’s at.”
The initial timeline given by the team was that Giddey would miss at least three weeks. That was then compounded by a later report on December 31st that he would be reevaluated in two weeks.
According to Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com, Giddey ramped up his progress a few days ago on a potential return, and after the moves made and Donovan’s comments, it appears all that is left is for the 23-year-old to be officially cleared for play by team doctors.
Bulls insider KC Johnson of CHSN reported on Saturday that fans should ‘look for him later this week,‘ which is good news for a franchise that has continuously struggled over the past two months after a hot start to begin the year.
Giddey signed a four-year, $100 million extension as a restricted free agent with Chicago over the summer, now one of the best deals of the offseason.
Bulls News, Trade Rumors, And Injury Report
Rounding out other news surrounding the Windy City franchise, the team got revenge against the Nets on Sunday after losing to the team on Friday. In the past ten games, they’ve gone 5-5, but even without Giddey, they have shown some signs of improvement with Coby White, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic.
Along with Giddey, Chicago has Zach Collins, Patrick Williams, and rookie Noa Essengue listed on the injury report. Collins is dealing with a toe injury, and according to Donovan, the team doesn’t expect him back until after the NBA All-Star break. Williams missed the last Nets game with an ankle injury and is currently listed as day-to-day, while Essengue will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in early December.
As for trade rumors, there have been two names that have stood out over the past few weeks as the February 5th deadline approaches: White and Vucevic.
Like in years past, it is extremely hard to gauge the Bulls’ decision-makers’ interest in either being buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, and that remains the case in 2026. White has been linked to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to their need for a playmaking guard, while Vucevic has been linked to a number of teams considering his experience, consistency, and size. If traded, the big man would likely go to a title contender in exchange for some young players getting sent back to Chicago.
The Bulls also have nearly half their roster on expiring contracts, so if they do become sellers, all of those players could be candidates to be traded. But as seen in the past, it’s hard to tell what moves they’ll make before the upcoming deadline.
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