The first move of the NBA
offseason is here.
On Friday afternoon, ESPN’s
Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Chicago Bulls are trading guard
Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey in a
one-on-one swap.
A two-time All-NBA Defensive
selection, Caruso now goes to a team that just recently fell short
in the Western Conference semifinals in six games. As one of the
most coveted role-players in the league, Caruso could fit right
into the Thunder’s schemes with their five-out offense and guys who
can pass, dribble, and shoot. Aside from being a demon defensive
player, Caruso also shot 41% from three last season, fitting
perfectly the 3-and-D bill.
Caruso also provides the Thunder
with another primary defender alongside Lu Dort and Cason Wallace,
which practically makes the Thunder one of the best (if not the
best) perimeter defenses in the league.
Reportedly, Chicago was offered
by several teams before the trade deadline passed multiple picks
for Caruso but the team was adamant to keep him for the Bulls to
contend and make the playoffs. But with his impending contract
extension this offseason, Chicago negotiated with OKC about a
potential player of need in Giddey.
The 21-year-old from Australia
who was the 6th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft was often benched in the
Thunder’s series against Dallas as he was exposed for his suspect
shooting from outside the arc. Although the Thunder viewed him as
one of the building blocks for the future, their sudden rise atop
the West has them speeding up their rebuild and making this win-now
move for a veteran in his prime that also fit the needs of the
team.
Despite his stagnant shooting,
Giddey is an impressive playmaker and at 6-foot-9 is one of the
most intriguing PGs that could possibly pan out once he’s given the
reigns to a team and the ball in his hands.
This could very well work in
Giddey’s way in Chicago as the move likely implies that the Bulls
are ready to move on from Lonzo Ball, who’s been out for about
three years now due to injury.
This move also signals Chicago
breaking up their roster as stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan the
ones to be moved next as the franchise enters into a full
rebuild.
