Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Thunder for Josh Giddey

Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Thunder for Josh Giddey

NBA Trade season is upon us! The Chicago Bulls have traded guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report Thursday.

Caruso is entering the final year of his deal and becomes eligible for a four-year, approximately $80M extension exactly six months from the date of this trade. The Thunder made the trade with the hope to have Caruso as an integral player for the long-term. https://t.co/ZDO8fL4Js7

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024

Caruso is one of the most impactful role players in the entire association. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and one block on 46.8 percent shooting and 61.3 percent true shooting last season. He also had his best year from distance, knocking down a career-best 40.8 percent of his 4.7 3-point tries per game (61.6 3PAr!).

Giddey, meanwhile, was a depreciated asset. The counting stats look decent, averaging 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists, though he was one of the least impactful players on one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Though he took a major step back last season–and the off-court trouble didn’t help him. He was a poor–and unwilling–shooter who offered little-to-nothing on both ends outside of his playmaking and rebounding (which were both above-average for a guard). He wasn’t a good fit alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nor Jalen Williams, compromising the team’s spacing.

Report: Bulls expected to re-sign DeMar DeRozan in free agency

Caruso’s $9.8 million contract was partially guaranteed ($3 million) heading into the 2024-25 season; it becomes fully guaranteed on June 30. The Thunder didn’t forgo any of its financial flexibility in this trade, adding roughly $1.5 million to its cap sheet, according to Spotrac.

Both Caruso and Giddey are extension-eligible, which would not kick in until the 2025-26 season.

***

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Click here for more NBA content