No one can deny the fact that it was a surprising note that OKC has gone to send one of their young and impressive guards in Josh Giddey, who has been on a tough note with the Thunder after the team got eliminated in the second round of the 2024 Playoffs. Oklahoma City received Alex Caruso in exchange for Giddey in the said deal.

The deal was such a surprise on both ends. For OKC, Giddey’s brilliance on the court in the past few years has him intended to be one of the best staples in the squad who could really help the Thunder come up with massive strides in the game, so trading him away seemed to be a huge surprise, especially when his so-called “liability season” saw him average impressive numbers even as a fourth scoring option in the team so far.

For the Bulls, however, it seems that it is going to be one of the biggest stories that will see them either regret it or celebrate it. Many fans even thought that they could’ve gotten more from Caruso as a valued player in the Bulls’ roster so far.

A New Future for Giddey

Giddey is one of the biggest assets in Oklahoma City. Selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the promising guard finishes his tenure with the Thunder with averages of 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from three. Giddey was essentially a candidate for the Rookie of the Year back then and was also the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.

What proceeded with OKC’s decision to trade Giddey was that the team sought to see him come off the bench in the 2024-25 season. However, discussions with the third-year guard led to him seeking options where he can serve viable minutes while being a starter. That came for Chicago later on, in which sends a promising groove for Giddey in the long run.

Giddey was quite said to be a liability in his games, especially against the Dallas Mavericks. However, Giddey’s playstyle was quite hampered with him going more off-ball than what he was used to. For context, Giddey used to average 25.1 minutes per game in the regular season, but was on the court for just 18.1 minutes each night in the playoffs.

A 3&D Boost for the Thunder

At the age of 30, it is actually quite baffling how fans should expect Caruso to fill in the playmaking that Josh Giddey brings to the table for OKC. But with both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Wiliams transitioning into elite playmakers, it seems that OKC is seeing a formula work for them, much like how Jrue Holiday, a 3&D player, did the trick for the Boston Celtics’ championship run.

Caruso averaged a career-high 10.1 points this past season and was named to the All-Defensive First Team for 2022-23, the All-Defensive Second Team for 2023-24, and he won the NBA Hustle Award for 2023-24. To add to that impressive trade, Caruso used to play for the Oklahoma City Blue, under the Thunder’s current head coach Mark Daigneault back then.

OKC can either see him come off the bench, or as a starter for the team should he ever be considered to be a good fit on each unit. His defensive brilliance makes him a good choice for the Thunder considering that they are on the pace to become one of the best defensive teams in the league.