Josh Giddey Begins New Bulls Era with Offseason Surgery

Another Chicago Bulls guard has undergone offseason surgery.

A few weeks after announcing a minor procedure for Rob Dillingham, the organization revealed on Wednesday that Josh Giddey had a successful right ankle arthroscopy. The news comes essentially one month after the official end of the Bulls' season. Giddey only played in one of the team's final seven games, though this was seemingly more of a precautionary move for his lingering hamstring issue.

The Bulls stated that Giddey isn't expected to start basketball activities for another three months. However, they did specifically note that the expectation is for the 23-year-old guard to be ready by the start of training camp. Teams typically start up their prep work for the NBA season at the end of September, before preseason games begin in early October.

Josh Giddey Begins New Bulls Era with Surgery

The good news for Josh Giddey is that his current timeline gives him nearly a month-long cushion to be ready for training camp. This means that even a small setback shouldn't hurt his chances of being on the floor. All things considered, it's incredibly important when we consider that this upcoming training camp will be the first under a new head coach and with a VERY different-looking team.

The bad news is that ... well ... surgery is still surgery. You never quite know how the body will respond, and the Bulls are very familiar with offseason problems creeping into the regular season. There is also something to be said about missing an entire offseason of work. Giddey has made some strides in recent years, especially in the shooting department. A lot of that is likely due to the consistent practice put in during his off months. The guard will now have to spend that time rehabbing instead of enhancing his game.

For what it's worth, this isn't the first time Giddey has experienced issues with this ankle. He most notably hurt it during the Paris Olympics with Team Australia. Giddey landed awkwardly and ruptured a tendon in the same offseason the Bulls acquired him from the Thunder. The guard would not miss any time, though he would end up injuring the same ankle later in the season and go on to miss a few games.

Exactly where Giddey stands with the Chicago Bulls' new front office remains a fair question. He's been a somewhat polarizing player in the past due to his limited scoring versatility and defensive struggles.

At the same time, there is no question that he remains one of the best pure facilitators in the league, and his positional size remains a real tool on the glass. With that in mind, it feels safe to assume Bryson Graham's plan is to evaluate the guard closely this upcoming season before deciding his future. To do that adequately, however, he is going to need Giddey fully healthy.

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