The NBA offseason is in full swing, as many teams have changed their rosters in preparation for the 2024-25 season.
One of more surprising changes happened in early June when the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to trade guard Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for guard Alex Caruso according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Many fans were caught off guard as there weren't any rumors to suggest a trade was being discussed by the two teams.
Below is an in-depth look at what the trade means for both the Thunder and Bulls going forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder: A+
The Thunder are coming off one of their best seasons in years as they finished with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and had the second-best record in the NBA (57-25). Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to propel them to championship as they fell to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.
This put the onus on general manager Sam Presti to improve the roster without stunting or hurting the growth of their young nucleus.
They did just that in acquiring Caruso, one of the league's pristine perimeter defenders. He has played elite defense when tasked to guard the likes of Lebron James and Jayson Tatum among other stars. He is also a terrific passer and an underrated shooter, improving his completion percentage to 41% from behind the arc last season.
Caruso will fit in seamlessly with Oklahoma City's fourth ranked defense and only further bolster an offense that led the league in 3-point percentage.
The cost to add Caruso was Giddey, whose future with the team was murky after a disappointing season. His stats were down in all major categories from the previous year.
His inability to develop a consistent 3-point shot and guard at a high-level ultimately led to his benching in the Thunders second round loss to the Mavericks.
His lack of shooting made for a clunky backcourt fit with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has established himself as one of the league's best point guards. The former No.6 pick in the 2021 NBA draft still has lots of potential to become a top point guard, but this potential wasn’t going to be realized in Oklahoma City.
Moving Giddey, without having to add draft picks or another young player, to land one of the league's most coveted 2-way role players in Caruso should be illegal. It's another example of Presti's elite negotiating skills as he adds to the long list of trades he has struck during his tenure in Oklahoma City.
Chicago Bulls: D-
Chicago's return for Caruso is abysmal, which may be an understatement. A two-time NBA All Defensive team guard should be able to yield more assets than a struggling former lottery pick in Giddey.
It's fair to wonder what made Bulls executive Artūras Karnišovas feel inclined to accept this trade. Back in February Michael Scotto of Hoopshype said Chicago's asking price for Caruso was the equivalent of two first round picks.
Moving on from Caruso signaled the beginning of the rebuild the Bulls have been trying to avoid. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2021 season and has limped to the play-in tournament the past two years.
DeMar DeRozan was vital to keeping Chicago in playoff contention during this time, but he didn’t fit the team’s timeline which led to him signing with the Sacramento Kings in free agency. Part of the teams lack of success is linked to Lonzo Ball and Zach Lavines inability to stay healthy.
A fresh start in the windy city could help Giddey, who has shown promise with exceptional passing and rebounding skills. However, he is moving from one crowded backcourt to another with Lavine, Ball, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu.
While there is a good chance of Lavine and Ball being moved in other deals, Giddey will still have to compete with White and Dosunmu for playing time. His lack of a consistent 3-point shot, and defensive struggles doesn't help a Chicago team that needs more help in those areas.
The Bulls may envision Giddey having the ball more often which could allow him to play to his strengths. White and Dosunmu have shown they are able to be effective when playing off-ball.
The lack of additional assets ultimately makes this trade extremely underwhelming for Chicago. It brings more questions than answers on the direction of the franchises long-term future.
