BreakingDown of the Bulls and Thunder's Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey Trade

 Written by: Danny Albers 

The first trade of the offseason happened immediately after the NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls sent highly touted 30-year old defensive specialist Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for 21 year-old top prospect Josh Giddey. This had an immediate negative reaction from Bulls fans as Caruso was a fan-favorite, and a workhorse for the team last season playing 71 games and having career highs in every category. 


Meanwhile, Josh Giddey had his worst statistical season as he struggled to find his role on a stacked Thunder team that was incredibly guard heavy. Although some fans are viewing this as a rebuild type of move, I really am struggling to see it that way. Giddey played 80 games last season, but his minutes went down substantially (from 31 minutes to 25). In 2022-2023, Giddey was averaging 16 point a game, 7.9 rebounds a game, and 6.2 assists a game. His progression got stinted a bit with the Thunder committing to more defensive oriented players around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His numbers went back to 12.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Similar numbers to his rookie campaign. Giddey is still a developing talent with all-star potential. Although he;s not likely going to come into Chicago and be a team leader, Giddey is one of the more creative offensive players in the league, and with Lonzo Ball likely out of Chicago should help with distributing the ball and creating open opportunities for his teammates. 


As for Caruso, I was a bit confused as to why the Thunder were the team to acquire him. I thought that the Thunder were pretty set defensively, and required more shooting and scoring help around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Caruso had his best offensive season by a large margin, and still only scored 10 points a game. He comes into an already solid defensive back court. The Thunder failed to address interior defensive struggles from a season ago. Meanwhile the Bulls add a little bit more consistency and creativity offensively. This move will allow DeMar to play the wing, should he resign with the team, and take the ball out of Zach Lavine’s hands should he not be traded (let's hope not). It also pairs Coby White with a large 6’ 8’ guard that can be a problem to guard for other backcourts. I like this trade for both teams. For the Thunder, you add experience and a workhorse to a young team needing some more leadership. ESPN compared the Caruso acquisition to the Warriors getting Andre Iguodala. Although I don’t believe Caruso is the same talent as Iggy, I think Caruso is going to fit right in with the young team that was the top seed in the West. As for the Bulls, you get a lot younger, but instead of drafting a young player with a lot of question marks, you get a player who’s proven to be able to play and thrive in the NBA. At only 21, and a 6’8” guard, I think Giddey is nowhere near realizing his potential. 

Grade for the Thunder: B- 

Grade for the Bulls: B+


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