The NBA season has been over for less than 72 hours, but we already have a significant trade ahead of next week’s NBA Draft.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year guard/forward Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for two-time NBA All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the trade Thursday afternoon on X.
The deal comes as a bit of a surprise, as Giddey had spent just three seasons with the Thunder, who drafted him sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Giddey is coming off a career-low season in both points per game (12.3) and rebounds per game (6.4), but at just 21 years old and with a change of scenery, it could lead to the Australian breaking out in Chicago.
Wojnarowski also reported that part of the reason for dealing Caruso from a Bulls perspective was because he is in the last year of his contract and the Thunder now have a chance to sign him to an extension in early January, six months from when the trade is made official. Caruso provides a strong defensive presence for the young upstart Thunder while also helping keep the ball in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands as much as possible on offense.
Caruso is coming off a career-best year which saw him average 10.5 points and 1.7 steals per game, tying him for third in the NBA.
Social media had a lot to say about the deal.
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