Just days after the NBA Finals ended, the basketball landscape slightly shifted with a sizable trade that sent Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls and Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
For some, the move came as a shock. Not just because Caruso is a coveted asset that many teams wanted to trade for but also because Giddey was the sixth pick just three years ago. He burst onto the scene, becoming a key part of the Thunder’s booming ascension as a rookie, and took another step forward in his second season, establishing himself as a franchise cornerstone.
But Giddey took a bit of a step back last year, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s star presence surely contributed to the Aussie’s minutes dipping for the first time in his NBA career. Yet, he also found himself losing valuable minutes in the playoffs, which was a clear indication that coach Mark Daigneault preferred to space the floor with better shot-makers and defenders down the stretch.
Then, the trade happened. Adding Caruso is a great pickup for the Thunder, as every team could use more 3-and-D contributors with a high basketball IQ. But this is a 21-year-old former lottery pick who just got traded for a 30-year-old former undrafted free agent. What gives?
Oklahoma City Thunder wanted to bench Josh Giddey, he didn’t buy in
Less than 24 hours after the deal was completed, Thunder GM Sam Presti revealed the main reason why Giddey was traded.
“As we began our internal discussions this offseason, it was determined that bringing Josh off the bench next season was our best option to maximize his many talents and deploy our team more efficiently over 48 minutes.
As we laid out to Josh how he could lean into his strengths and ultimately optimize our current roster and talent, it was hard to for him to envision, and conversations turned to him inquiring about potential opportunities elsewhere.”
Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti on why he traded Josh Giddey
Presti went on to compliment Giddey for remaining professional throughout the process, while admitting the young prospect still has All-Star potential. Yet, with the current contract of the team, getting Giddey to realize his ceiling as a player didn’t seem feasible.
So, the Thunder decided to stop worrying about maximizing Giddey’s potential by swapping him for a high-level reserve who won’t have any issues with his future roles.
Related: Brian Windhorst drops another strong hint about the next major NBA transaction