Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
O Chicago buffaloes are trading All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson.
The Bulls are trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey, a source confirmed. @wojespn I had it first
Caruso can be extended from July 6th. Caruso made his second consecutive All Defensive team this season
As of writing this morning, the Bulls are active across the league ahead of the draft
-KC Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 20, 2024
Caruso can be extended from July 6th. Last season, Caruso made his second consecutive NBA All-Defense team. He also earned top-10 voting for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Bulls have been accepting and passing on trade offers for Caruso for some time. Since the start of last season, the Bulls have consistently rebuked Caruso’s trade offers Johnson reported in November 2023.
He is widely viewed around the league as a valuable piece for rival teams in need of perimeter defense — a service limited to Caruso’s level in the NBA. The Bulls have always had interest in Caruso, but their commitment to remaining competitive has always diminished interest in trading him.
With the Thunder, Caruso has the chance to compete for his second ring, after winning with the Lakers in the 2020 Covid-19 season. They finished first in the Western Conference last season with a 57-25 record. They got past the Pelicans in the first round, but were stopped by the Western Conference champion Mavericks.
For the Bulls, they get a new face in Giddey, 21, the Australian point guard entering his fourth NBA season. Initially selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Thunder, Giddey is known for his skills as a floor general and first guard.
In the first three years of his young career, Giddey averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He’s shooting a career 46.4% from the floor and 31% from beyond the arc, the latter of which is a steady improvement over his rookie mark of 26.3%.
This is likely just the beginning of a transformative offseason for the Bulls. Vice-president Artūras Karnišovas admitted in April that the core in question “didn’t work” and that “everything is on the table” for changes this off-season.
MORE: Bulls active as NBA Draft approaches
There are several variables at hand this off-season for the Bulls, who hold the 11th pick in next week’s 2024 NBA Draft. There have been rumors that the Bulls will move up or down in the draft. Remaining in his current role is also an option, Johnson said Thursday.
Additionally, the organization is focused on trading Zach LaVine this offseason, Johnson reported. Sources told Johnson that Artūras Karnišovas has submitted as many as 15 trade proposals to multiple teams, including the Kings, Jazz, Magic and 76ers.
The Bulls also have to resolve the contract situations of DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams, who could become free agents in July. The Caruso trade is seemingly the tip of the iceberg for a front office interested in fixing a roster that has missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Check back to this story for more updates.
