𝐆𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐨

Abhay Pancharathi

Right upon the heels of the Boston Celtics being crowned NBA Champions, the Thunder and Bulls agreed to a deal Thursday that swapped guards Alex Caruso and Josh Giddey. These forms of "one for one" deals are rare in the NBA, as usually, one team attaches picks to their end of the deal to incentivize the other team. Given the unusual nature of the trade, and that the Bulls are historically reluctant to make any trades, this one, in particular, warrants a deep dive into the players, how they fit onto their new teams, and their outlook for next year.

Thunder - Alex Caruso

Player Report

Alex Caruso has a reputation for being a hard-nosed defender, and for good reason. Although he's 6'5, the Bulls felt comfortable putting him on most forwards. In the February 22nd matchup vs the Boston Celtics, the Bulls had Caruso starting on Jayson Tatum, a forward 5 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. Caruso held his own, both on Tatum and on Jaylen Brown. 

As the much bigger Tatum tries posting him up, Caruso pokes away the ball without fouling, leading to a quick 2 at the other side. Caruso is a master of tricking the offensive player into thinking he got fouled while making a clean play. Jaylen Brown hurries a shot and screams "That's an and-one" on a completely legal play by Caruso. Finally, when it looks like Jrue Holiday has him beat, he can recover and poke it away to prevent an easy 2 for the Celtics. Defensively, he can guard 1-4 and even some 5s. This defensive versatility is what makes him so appealing. Against the Bucks this season, he started on Giannis Antetokounmpo, then also took reps guarding Damian Lillard. He went from guarding Stephen Curry, a 3-point savant, to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, almost exclusively an inside-the-arc player. And, of course, he started on Jayson Tatum, a big wing who can do a little bit of everything.

Offensively, Caruso is the ideal 4/5th option, able to make the right reads on the open floor and in pick-and-roll, while also shooting 41% from 3 this year. Unlike Josh Giddey, Caruso is just as valuable without the ball as with the ball, as he's a willing cutter and catch-and-shoot guy. 

In the first play, Caruso recognizes the empty space and catches Jrue Holiday sleeping for a nice finish over Tatum. Then, Caruso drills an above-the-break 3, a shot he's shooting 42% on. This would be tied for the best mark among Thunder starters and made even more impactful by the fact that the guy he's replacing shot a dismal 32%. Caruso, recognizing that he's drawn 2 defenders, kicks it out to Derozan for 3. He's also an excellent finisher for a guard, attacking a 7'2 Kristaps Porzingis for a layup, and then he does it again. And finally, he recognizes when he has space for a 3 and cans it. In this one game, Caruso has shown all the makings of a 4th option, being a willing and capable passer, a knockdown shooter, and a fantastic finisher. 

How he fits and 2024-25 Thunder outlook

Caruso has often been on teams with non-existent spacing for his Bulls tenure. Nikola Vucevic, once thought of as a stretch big, has become a liability from the 3-point line and Demar Derozan has never been a threat from that area. Playing in OKC's 5-out system will have his rim fg% back to his bubble Los Angeles days rather than in Chicago. As for Oklahoma City, this trade immediately catapults them into contention. Caruso gives them another option they can throw at Jamal Murray, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, De'aaron Fox, Steph Curry, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson. The Western Conference is not lacking for offensive firepower, and having a versatile point guard who can guard 1-4 is invaluable. This trade means there are 0 defensive liabilities in the OKC Thunder starting lineup, but also, given Lu Dort doesn't regress, no shooting liabilities. This team is similar to the Boston Celtics team that just won the championship and with a litany of strong role players off the bench such as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace this team will be strong all 48 minutes. While last year it seemed as if the Thunder were a perfect basketball team outside of Josh Giddey, this year their point guard helps make them the favorite to come out east. If no one gets hurt, this team should win 60 games and represent the West in the Finals.

Bulls - Josh Giddey

Player Report

Since his debut, Josh Giddey has been one of the NBA's most imaginative passers. A tall, lengthy guard with an acute understanding of passing angles, Giddey is adept at finding the open man, and delivering his pass so that his man is in the best position possible. However, after two promising years in the NBA, Giddey had a horrible 2023-24 season, culminating in a Mavericks series where he was rendered "unplayable", eventually being benched. 

When Giddey was the primary ball handler for the Thunder, in games without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey averaged 19 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 30 minutes. He was also pretty efficient, with a true shooting percentage of 58.5%, far better than his normal season average of 54.7%. His Per-36 stats without Gilgeous-Alexander look like that of an ascendant young star, 22.8/8.9/8. The Chicago Bulls are counting on this small sample size being the reality for Giddey when he's given the ball at all times. When Giddey, a non-shooting threat, has the ball it nullifies other teams attempting to sag off of him which allows him to be a playmaking hub.

Not coincidentally, Giddey's best game last season was a March 27th clash with the Houston Rockets, a game in which SGA was out. Giddey showcased the full skillset of a potential future franchise cornerstone in that game, almost leading OKC to a win over the red-hot Rockets. In this clip, Giddey recognizes Dillon Brooks playing too far off of Isaiah Joe, a deadly 3-point shooter, and rifles a cross-court pass through traffic for the easy 3.

This entire game was a floater clinic from Giddey, often getting into the paint and finishing over bigger opponents. This type of touch at the rim offers some credence that Giddey can become a respectable shooter, especially since he shot 80% from the line this year and has become a better 3-point shooter every year of his career. He's only 21, giving him a long time to develop that jumper.

Finishing over the much larger Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson, Giddey showcases an advanced floater repertoire. He's adept at going both left and right, as well as fading away. He blends this floater into his jump shot, pairing a high release with a propensity for slithering around large defenders to not get blocked. 

How he fits and 2024-25 Bulls outlook

Giddey will immediately become the Bulls' starting point guard, moving 2023-24 MIP runner-up Coby White to the off-guard. As a non-shooter, the onus is on the Bulls to surround Giddey with shooters, both spot-up and movement. Coby White, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmnu, and Lonzo Ball all project as positive spacers for Giddey and new draft acquisition Matas Buzelis, and while the Bulls will not compete this year and will likely be one of the worst teams in the league, they have a plethora of intriguing young talent. Giddey should thrive as a lead ball handler once again, averaging at least 8 assists per game to go with at least 18 points per game. Some free agents to target for Chicago include Nicolas Batum, Malik Beasley, or(high-end) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.