The Chicago Bulls can no longer worry about trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. That is a sunk cost, and the franchise is rebuilding. Now is the time to trade Giddey. It will get a high-usage offensive player off the roster and open things up for Bryson Graham to build around Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
Trading Caruso straight up for Giddey was a bad move from the moment Chicago made it. They gave up an elite role player for an oversized guard who was just benched in the playoffs. Caruso helped the Oklahoma City Thunder win the title in 2025. Giddey has improved his jumper, but the Bulls have missed the playoffs in each of his two years in Chicago.
That trade is done. The Bulls can’t get a redo. The front office that made it is gone. Chicago should look to the future. The team’s roster will be built around Wilson and Buzelis. Norman Powell gives the young forwards a mentor. Giddey’s playstyle doesn’t fit, and the Bulls aren’t the only ones who know it. It is time to move on and embrace the future.
Josh Giddey is a heliocentric player who will harm development
Giddey has improved in Chicago. He has made 37.1 percent of his 561 3-point attempts since the trade. He took 5.2 long-range attempts per game last season, so he is a plus shooter on solid volume. The defense is still an issue, but his need to have the ball is an even bigger problem.
Giddey had a 24.4 usage percentage last season, which was only behind Coby White and Collin Sexton on the Bulls. Those two did it in fewer than 30 games. Giddey played 54. The 6’7 guard averaged 17.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game. He tried to do it all with diminishing returns.
The Bulls had a negative 3.3 net rating with Giddey on the floor last season. Their defensive rating was 119.3, and Chicago was 1.6 points per 100 possessions worse when the 23-year-old played.
Giddey needs the ball in his hands to be at his best. The numbers have fans thinking he can be an All-Star, but the Bulls have to focus on building a contender. Even the best version of Giddey has struggled to accomplish that.
Bulls can’t redeem Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey trade
Everyone was waiting to see how much draft capital Chicago got when the Giddey for Caruso swap was announced. The Bulls had to be getting some picks, right? It never happened. This was a straight player-for-player swap. Chicago has taken heat for the deal ever since, but there is no way to redeem it.
Giddey becoming an All-Star won’t change how that trade was viewed. The Bulls gave OKC a key piece of their championship roster. Caruso helped the Thunder get to the conference finals in 2026 and remains a crucial role player. He will keep helping them win as the Bulls rebuild.
The Arturas Karnisovas era is over in the Windy City. He made a lot of regrettable moves. The Bulls can’t try to right those wrongs. They need to build from the ground up around their two young forwards.
Bulls should fully embrace a new era
Caleb Wilson showcased the potential to be the best player in this loaded draft class during summer league. The 6’10 forward is a special talent. Chicago should be trying to turn him into a superstar. That means giving him the freedom to create off the dribble and expand his game.
They did the same with Matas Buzelis in year two. He expanded his game as a scorer, rebounder, and defender. That is exactly what Chicago wants to see, but there are only so many possessions.
The Bulls can’t let Giddey and Powell take over. They need to be focused on the development of Wilson and Buzelis. That means letting the young duo make mistakes and grow their games. That will be hard to do with Giddey on the floor. He always wants the ball. The 6’7 guard will create for others, but his heliocentric style is just not what the rebuilding Bulls need.
The Chicago Bulls should trade Josh Giddey to let the young players run wild. Giddey has produced monster numbers, but his team has made the playoffs just once in five years. Chicago can’t build their roster around the 6’7 point guard, so it is time to move on. Giddey doesn’t fit, and the Bulls should be looking to develop their next successful core, not let it stagnate as Giddey goes off.
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