While most fans and observers believe that the Chicago Bulls lost out on the Oklahoma City Thunder when they traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, one well-known NBA analyst believes that Chicago will be in a better position after the deal.
In a rare one-for-one trade, the Bulls sent crowd favorite Caruso to OKC for the 21-year-old Australian playmaker. In his third season, Giddey averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.1 minutes per game – all career lows.
“I thought Chicago won the trade,” Simmons said on his podcast. “To me, that was one of the best NBA trades of the century.”
“I think people just forgot that he’s actually good, and he was in a weird situation on a team that didn’t really need him. And now he’s going to a team that’s not as good, but that’s going to say, ‘Yo, Josh Giddey, you’re good, and here’s the ball.’ I think he’s an asset.”
While the Thunder finished first in the Western Conference, Giddey had to deal with allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor that dogged him throughout the year. The case was ultimately dismissed, but the damage to his reputation was significant.
However, Giddey is 10 years younger than Caruso, cheaper and three inches taller. His versatility at the guard position – Giddey has 11 triple-doubles in his career – also makes him an interesting complement to Bulls stars Coby White, Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic.
Although he is not quite as talented as a defender and is not quite as accurate beyond the three-point line, Giddey is also a passable copy of Lonzo Ball in the event that the latter is unable to return to the team after missing the last two seasons due to knee surgery.
“He’s a small forward, but he’s also a point guard. He’s big, he gets rebounds, he just fills up the game stats, he’s fun to play with, the ball moves with him,” Simmons said.
Giddey has potential, that’s not the question. The question for the Bulls is whether they can capitalize on that potential quickly, as Giddey is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Will Chicago invest in Josh Giddey long-term or will he just be a pawn for another transfer at a later date?
For Bill Simmons, the answer seems pretty clear.
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