Chicago Bulls Trade Alex Caruso to Oklahoma Thunder for Josh Giddey
Now that a trophy has been hoisted, it is time for teams to really get to work. Building, shaping and crafting an improved roster for next season. There’s been coach dismissals as well as hirings and now there’s trade action going down. Between Chicago and Oklahoma. The Chicago Bulls have traded Alex Caruso to Oklahoma Thunder for Josh Giddey.
This news is a tad bit surprising due to Chicago’s previous strong stance in trading Caruso. The Bulls have reportedly turned down multiple offers in the past. Offers even including multiple first round selections and a top 10 selection from this year’s draft.
Alex Caruso is a defensive guard with peak value. Which could have resulted in depth and significant draft capital. Yet, it is clear that before today the Bulls had been definitely opposed to the idea of allowing Alex to walk out their door.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the trade news and sheds some light on the Bulls possible thinking when it came getting this trade done. He states,
“BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey, sources tell ESPN.
The trade delivers the Thunder one of the league’s most coveted role players, a 30-year old guard who GM Sam Presti has long pursued for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed. Caruso’s arrival could be seen as an addition comparable to the Golden State Warriors acquisition of Andre Iguodala in 2013. Both were 30 years old.
The Bulls have been determined to find a playmaker to replace Lonzo Ball, and Giddey, 21, comes with an All-Star potential that would unlikely be realized with the Thunder because of the playmaking starpower who surrounded him. The Bulls will offer him an opportunity to have the ball in his hands and so much more freedom to pass and score.
Chicago Bulls Trade Alex Caruso to Oklahoma Thunder for Josh Giddey
So then, what we glean from the above is that the Bulls’ decision also prioritized youth. They leaned into the “age” aspect. And perhaps saw Giddey as a younger project to mold. Also, Giddey gets a change in scenery that may help him ‘find his way again’ on the court and escape some aspects of negative press.
However, the Giddey/Caruso trade details themselves seem like a slight head scratcher. There’s no draft compensation on the horizon. Regarding this element of the Chicago and Thunder trade, Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports reveals,
“The Bulls have traded Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Oklahoma City makes their championship move, while Chicago resets with their new point guard. No draft compensation coming from OKC alongside Giddey.
The Thunder are hopeful to soon sign Alex Caruso to a long-term extension, Oklahoma City can pay Caruso upwards of $80 million over four years. As first reported last month, the Thunder have been preparing to move on from Josh Giddey in order to improve their roster. Not having to attach any draft capital alongside Giddey, which can now be used for a bigger move later, they secured a game-changing piece in Alex Caruso.
Involving Alex Caruso, the Bulls had multiple offers on the table at the trade deadline for first-round draft capital. Chicago instead decided to continue pushing forward for a playoff push. Another example of bad asset management from Chicago waiting too long to capitalize.”
Hhm. Well, the Bulls and Thunder are moving forward in their endeavors. And OKC gets their guy. OKC is already a team of defensive beasts, adding Caruso makes them even more of a problem for other teams. However, more moves are likely on the way throughout the league and it’ll be interesting to observe how teams handle resolving their issues with the upcoming draft.
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