The Chicago Bulls are trading two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Los Chicago Bulls they are trading the two-time All-Defensive point guard Alex Caruso al Oklahoma City Thunder for the base Josh Giddeysources told ESPN on Thursday.
The exchange gives the Thunder one of the league’s most coveted role players, a 30-year-old point guard who general manager Sam Presti has long sought for the Western Conference’s No. 1 job. The arrival of Alex Caruso could be seen as a comparable addition to the Golden State Warriors’ acquisition of Andre Iguodala in 2013. At the time of that deal, Iguodala was also 30 years old.
Los Bulls have been determined to find a point guard to replace Lonzo Bally Josh Giddey, 21, comes with All-Star potential that is unlikely to be realized with the Thunder due to the point guard star power around him. Point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was second on the MVP list and there is an expectation that the franchise will want to give 7-foot-3 Chet Holmgren even more point guard duties.
Alex Caruso will be a new Thunder player. Photo: Getty
Josh Giddey He was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and became one of the most creative young players in the league. The Bulls will offer him the opportunity to have the ball in his hands and more freedom to pass and score. Chicago needed an engine for his offense, and the Bulls get it with Giddey.
Josh Giddey He played a career-high 80 games for the Thunder last season, but finally began to come off the bench in the Western Conference playoffs. His scoring average fell from 16.6 points to 12.3 points last season as his role with the Thunder evolved. Giddey has 11 career triple-doubles, the fourth-most by a player 21 or younger all-time behind only Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson and Ben Simmons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Alex Caruso He shot 41 percent on 3-pointers and ranked fourth in the NBA in steals last season. Caruso ranked second in half-court defensive matchups against 2024 NBA All-Stars, behind his new Thunder teammate Lu Dortz, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The addition of Caruso gives the Thunder three of the best on-ball defenders on a team among guards in the league, including Caruso, Dort and Cason Wallace.
Caruso will be eligible for a four-year, $80 million contract extension six months from the date of this trade. He is entering the last year of his contract. The Thunder made the deal in hopes of keeping Caruso as an integral part of their team long-term, sources said.
Giddey is eligible to negotiate a rookie-scale extension as a member of the 2021 draft class.
2024-06-20 21:37:00
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