It seemed like a slam dunk when the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso .
The deal was a straight swap. Oklahoma City acquired one of the league's premier perimeter defenders and a player who shot 40.8 percent from three in 2023-24. The Thunder will add an All-Defense caliber guard to a group that already includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Lu Dort and Cason Wallace.
It's a win-now move for a team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last year.
Meanwhile, a rebuilding Chicago franchise will take a flier on a talented floor general who's just 21 years old.
Caruso is the more valuable player right now, and the Thunder are aiming to win an NBA championship; the deal seems like a win for OKC. But after watching Giddey play in the Olympics with Australia, it might not be as one-sided.
The Bulls' new point guard is ready to thrive in a different environment with a different role and is poised to have a breakout season that could see him in the running for the 2024-25 Most Improved Player Award.
Josh Giddey Was Pushed Out of OKC's Lineup
He was relegated to a bench role during the playoffs
Giddey was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. His 6-foot-8 size and proper point guard skill set were enticing. A slick passer with vision and the height to see over defenses was alluring for OKC.
He started immediately for the Thunder at 19. He proved to be a potential triple-double threat, averaging 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
He started 76 games in 2022-23 and upped those averages to 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
Last year was the beginning of the end for Giddey in Oklahoma City, however.
His minutes dropped from 31.1 per game to 25.1 despite starting all 80 regular-season games he played in. He averaged a career-low 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists as his usage rate dropped from 24.6 to 23.1.
|
Josh Giddey Career Stats |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Category |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
|
GP |
54 |
76 |
80 |
|
MPG |
31.5 |
31.1 |
25.1 |
|
USG% |
22.2 |
24.6 |
23.1 |
|
PPG |
12.5 |
16.6 |
12.3 |
|
RPG |
7.8 |
7.9 |
6.4 |
|
APG |
6.4 |
6.2 |
4.8 |
|
PER |
13.3 |
17.1 |
16.6 |
Then the playoffs hit, and Giddey's lack of a consistent outside shot eventually drove him out of the starting lineup. He came off the bench in the team's final two playoff games, playing only 18.1 minutes per contest.
He scored just 8.7 points per game last postseason as Wallace and Dort took on more responsibility next to Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.
After the season, Thunder general manager Sam Presti confirmed Giddey would be set to start 2024-25 as a reserve. Presti praised Giddey's professionalism, but understandably, the former high draft pick, who had started every game of his NBA career except the last two, preferred to find another opportunity.
“I just said to [Presti], ‘At this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do.’ He completely understood. Throughout the whole process, we were open and honest with each other. ... He got it. We worked together through the whole process and he got me to a great spot.”
Now, the Melbourne native will have a chance to run a Bulls team that's lacked a true point guard since Lonzo Ball was injured in 2021-22.
Giddey Is Ready to Break Out With the Bulls
He'll have an opportunity to do what he does best
Giddey is one of the NBA's best young playmakers. His 11 triple-doubles are the fourth most by a player age 21 or younger, trailing Magic Johnson, Luka Dončić and Ben Simmons, per ESPN.
He needs the opportunity to run an offense and create for his teammates. That chance dissipated in Oklahoma City, especially with Gilgeous-Alexander's emergence as an MVP candidate.
However, he'll get that chance with the Bulls. And looking at what he did in that role with Australia in the 2024 Olympics, he should thrive.
Giddey averaged 29.4 minutes per game in Paris as one of his country's best players. He averaged 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists. His shooting percentages were perhaps the most promising part of his tournament — he shot 51.4 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three (albeit with a shorter three-point line).
He had space to get to the rim and use his length and creativity to finish in tight spots or find open teammates. He also had the ball more and was allowed the freedom to use that creativity.
That's what's exciting about his opportunity in Chicago.
Giddey's highest usage rate (24.3) came during his best season in 2022-23. That would've been the second highest among qualifying players on last year's Bulls team, behind only DeMar DeRozan , who now plays for the 
Sacramento Kings . Giddey would also have led Chicago in assists.
Especially on a rebuilding team without any other true point guard — the closest thing being Coby White, who's much more comfortable scoring than passing — the Australian will have every opportunity, and most importantly, the freedom, to handle the ball, run the offense, and use his rare blend of size, passing and creativity to lead the charge.
Considering his penchant for triple-doubles at such a young age and the chance he'll have to run the show this season, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Giddey's stats explode and he becomes a candidate to win Most Improved Player.
