The Bulls trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso was met with a lukewarm (at best) reaction from Bulls faithful. At worst, it was mocked relentlessly. Giddey's perception as a player had tanked in his third and final year with the Thunder, while Caruso's perception as a high-level perimeter defender had folks thinking that a trade for him should fetch the Bulls multiple first-round picks.
Instead, they ended up with Giddey, which now looks pretty dang good. The sample size keeps getting larger for him, and the numbers remain impressive. Giddey is off to another scorching start, averaging 21 / 9 / 9 and shooting 38.5% from 3-point land.
Those numbers will come back to Earth just as they did last year, but we've seen enough high-level play from Giddey to deem the trade a win for the Bulls... Even if it was a win for the Thunder, too. That's the ultimate goal of trades anyway, right? That both teams get a player who helps their specific team?
Sometimes, everyone can win!
Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso may have been a win-win
The Oklahoma City Thunder added Alex Caruso and immediately won the NBA Finals. Thus, it's hard to argue that they didn't "win" the deal too, because Caruso's elite defensive impact was a boon to the Thunder's already-elite defense. With Caruso in the mix, it was near-historically good. During the playoffs, the Thunder were considerably better with Caruso on the court and he was a massive part of a season that was capped off the only way that made sense — with a ring. What more could you ask for?
We're far enough removed from the deal to declare that both teams got exactly what they hoped for. Caruso plays his role so well in OKC that he was awarded a 4-year, $81 million extension with the team, while Giddey flashed enough starpower in his first season to get a 4-year, $100 million extension of his own.
Giddey and Caruso are such drastically different players that it felt weird seeing them dealt for each other straight up. Caruso brings very little offensive creation (he averaged just 7.1 points last season) but is perhaps the most reliable guard defender in the league. Giddey, meanwhile, is an offensive engine who may not excel at one specific skill but is well-rounded enough to be trusted with the ball in his hands consistently.
Josh Giddey is part of the Chicago Bulls' future
The Bulls had no need for Alex Caruso as they began to prioritize the youth movement. The Thunder had no use for Josh Giddey as they were trying to win a championship immediately. Both teams achieved those aims, and a win-win still counts as a win for the Bulls — a big one at that.
And this is why the trade always made sense in theory for the Bulls. They saw Giddey as a potential future cornerstone, and knew that Caruso, while incredible in his own right, didn't fit any timeline that included lots of player development.
It really hurts to give the Bulls front office credit, but I might be forced to here. Was it a stroke of genius or blind luck that caused this deal to be a turning point in the Bulls' rebuild? It doesn't really matter.