Josh Giddey saw his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder come to an end after three seasons with the franchise, getting traded to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso this summer. While most analysts believe the Thunder needed to replace Giddey, center Chet Holmgren is devastated to watch Giddey be moved to a different team.
“Man, I was f***ing hurt when I saw that Josh Giddey is not going to be on our team anymore. We all rock with him, that’s our dog, still is. He’s going to he’s going to go do great things in Chicago so we’re excited for him.”
Giddey averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists last season for the Thunder, playing decent enough basketball but completely falling apart in the Playoffs. He averaged 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in the Playoffs, playing a considerable role in the Thunder being eliminated in the second round after being the No. 1 seed in the West.
The second-round series between the Mavericks and the Thunder saw Giddey become unplayable, with his lack of scoring causing the Mavs defense to ignore Josh, forcing Mark Daigneault to take Giddey out of the starting lineup, which upset the rhythm of the team as they fell to a 4-2 series loss. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the series, playing just 12.6 minutes per game.
Giddey is just 21 years old so we should see him develop in a low-pressure situation on the Bulls. Meanwhile, the Thunder get a win-now two-way guard like Alex Caruso, someone Holmgren is excited to be teammates with.
“We’re also excited to have AC on our team now too like you said he’s a great defender, he makes shots, he always makes winning plays, makes the right plays, that’s the type of dude you want to play with.”
Caruso averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on a poor Bulls roster last season, hoping to bring his top-tier perimeter defense to the Thunder after their early Playoff exit last season to a perimeter-dominant team like the Mavs. They also struggled on the interior with Chet alone, which is why they splurged to sign Isaiah Hartenstein from the Knicks to push for a title next season.
Did The Thunder Rush The Decision To Trade Josh Giddey?
The Josh Giddey trade saw the Thunder get rid of a high-potential long-term prospect for a win-now player like Caruso, who is 10 years older than Giddey and a former NBA Champion. There’s little doubt that the Thunder are better placed for the 2024-25 season with Caruso, but should they have let Giddey play out the final year of his rookie contract before making this move?
Many people have mocked the Bulls for not getting draft picks back in this deal but they’re ignoring the fact that a player like Giddey has decent trade value due to his age, size, and potential. Caruso has likely peaked as a player but is a terrific fit for the Thunder’s winning hope right now.
Giddey is already extension-eligible and will fetch a decent contract from either the Bulls or on the free agency market for much of the previously outlined reasons unless he has an atrocious season in 2024-25.
In my opinion, OKC made the right move because Giddey will need to be paid this season and was moved for a similar contract like Caruso which won’t spike by millions next season, unlike Giddey. They get better now while also managing cap for the future. There’s a risk in watching Giddey become an All-Star in Chicago, but they won’t care if they can win a title in the next two to three seasons.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
