Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder smiles as he runs up courtroom throughout the first half towards the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Middle on April 10, 2024 in Oklahoma Metropolis, Oklahoma. Joshua Gateley/Getty Pictures/AFP
CHICAGO — The Bulls and Thunder finalized a deal sending Josh Giddey to Chicago and Alex Caruso to Oklahoma Metropolis on Friday, with the Thunder granting the 21-year-old Giddey’s commerce request after he resisted the workforce’s plans to make use of him off the bench.
Giddey, a 6-foot-8 level guard from Australia, will get a recent begin after a difficult season through which his numbers dropped and he misplaced his beginning job within the NBA playoffs.
In a press release, Thunder basic supervisor Sam Presti mentioned he informed Giddey after the season that the workforce envisioned utilizing him as as a reserve in 2024-25 “to maximise his many skills and deploy our workforce extra effectively over 48 minutes.”
“As we laid out to Josh how he might lean into his strengths and in the end optimize our present roster and expertise, it was exhausting to for him to examine, and conversations turned to him inquiring about potential alternatives elsewhere,” Presti mentioned. “As all the time was the case, Josh demonstrated the utmost professionalism all through the discussions.”
The Thunder went 57-25 to earn the highest seed within the Western Convention and misplaced to Dallas within the convention semifinals.
READ: Thunder commerce guard Josh Giddey to Bulls for Alex Caruso
Giddey was incessantly booed on the highway this season after an nameless social media person accused him of getting an improper relationship with an underage woman, resulting in investigations by police in Newport Seashore, California, and the NBA.
Newport Seashore police accomplished their investigation in January and mentioned detectives had been “unable to corroborate any felony exercise.” The NBA additionally later dropped its investigation.
Giddey was the No. 6 total decide in 2021 and he made the All-Rookie second workforce. He’s a member of Australia’s nationwide workforce that can play on the Paris Olympics this summer time. He’s an distinctive passer and his dimension makes him a strong rebounder.
Giddey averaged 16.6 factors, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his second season, however these numbers dropped to 12.3 factors, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 2023-24.
Giddey’s play improved the second half of this season after the Thunder traded for Gordon Hayward. In April regular-season video games, Giddey averaged 16.3 factors, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists whereas capturing 57.2% from the sector.
Giddey’s enjoying time was decreased within the playoffs. He opened the second-round sequence towards Dallas as a starter earlier than being moved to a reserve position for the primary time in his NBA profession.
The 30-year-old Caruso, who performs level guard and capturing guard, was undrafted in 2016 and performed for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma Metropolis Blue, in 2016-17. He established himself as a defensive presence in 4 years with the Los Angeles Lakers after which three years with the Bulls.
He has profession averages of 6.8 factors, 2.9 rebounds and a couple of.9 assists. He averaged a career-high 10.1 factors this previous season. He was on the all-defense first workforce in 2023 and the second workforce in 2024.
“Alex Caruso is a participant we now have all the time extremely valued and adopted,” Presti mentioned. “He’s the quintessential Thunder participant; he’s an distinctive competitor and teammate with a multi-dimensional skillset.”
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The Thunder even have Cason Wallace, a second-team All-Rookie choice this previous season, at level guard.
