The Chicago Bulls have reportedly traded Alex Caruso for OKC Thunder guard Josh Giddey. Fans went into a frenzy after finding out that the Bulls decided to let Caruso go for Giddey. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski shared the news of the transaction on Thursday.
Caruso finished his third season with the Bulls and will enter the fourth year of his four-year, $36.9 million deal. Last season, the two-way guard averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He averaged double digits in points for the first time in his career. After the 2023-24 campaign, the defensive guard was named to the All-Defensive Second Team.
Giddey, on the other hand, wrapped his third year with the Thunder. He's in the final year of his rookie deal and was hopeful of getting an extension. Compared to what he did during his sophomore season, his numbers dropped. The Australian guard finished with 12.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 4.8 apg in 80 games.
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After fans discovered that Giddey had finally been traded, they were in chaos mode on social media.
"Michael Jordan made the call to f**k with LeBron's legacy, ofc," one fan said.
"Hide your daughters Chicago," another fan said.
"BULLS GOT FLEECED," one fan said.
Some fans were caught off guard by the trade.
"CARUSO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A LAKER NOOOO WTFFFF," a fan shared their frustration.
"OKC is FILTHY my goodness," another fan said.
"WTF JUST HAPPENED?" a fan was confused.
According to Woj, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has longed to have Caruso play for their franchise. The NBA insider compared the acquisition of the former LA Lakers guard to that of the Golden State Warriors decision to add Andre Iguodala in 2013.
Josh Giddey wanted to stay and play for the Thunder
Josh Giddey's third season for the Thunder wasn't impressive as he didn't show massive improvement in his game. According to most critics, it was the worst season of his career yet. Despite this, Giddey was determined to work hard and stay in Oklahoma.
“I love it here. This is a home away from home. I love everything about this place, the city, the fans," Giddey said (h/t Sports Illustrated). "The organization top to bottom is just unbelievable people throughout the building, and getting to come here to work every day is a lot of fun. It doesn’t feel like work."
However, Giddey's on-court problems were highlighted during their postseason run. The Australian guard was almost unplayable for his inability to stretch the floor. He struggled to contribute and only had 8.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 2.1 apg in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
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