Four words from Josh Giddey’s exit interview at the OKC Thunder last season show exactly why the Aussie star had to be traded. https://t.co/nx1NPpKBpD
The Chicago Bulls reportedly requested four unprotected picks in exchange for Alex Caruso during previous trade negotiations, per @JakeLFischer “The Bulls engaged several teams over the past 18 months that were willing to sacrifice first-round draft capital for Caruso, sources… https://t.co/ewBR4lSukg
OKC’s Sam Presti on trading Josh Giddey to Bulls: Coming off the bench was “…hard for him to envision” and “conversations turned to him inquiring about potential opportunities elsewhere …” https://t.co/fHu5jYT3GZ
Sam Presti statement on the Giddey/Caruso trade https://t.co/nHgPEVUROB
I still can’t believe OKC did not send ANY picks with Josh Giddey to Chicago in exchange for Alex Caruso. Everyone and their dog knows about the treasure chest of picks that Presti has under his desk. It’s incredible that Chicago didn’t pry any away. They didn’t even get a swap!
Here’s the other wild thing for the Bulls with this trade. They either just gave away Caruso for nothing, or they gave up an immense amount of negotiating power in forthcoming Giddey extension talks. Guys who have put up the numbers Giddey has at 21 don’t ask for less than 25M/yr
The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. This move has raised eyebrows as OKC did not include any draft picks in the deal, despite having a substantial number of them. Sam Presti, OKC's General Manager, stated that Giddey found it challenging to envision himself coming off the bench, leading to discussions about potential opportunities elsewhere. The Bulls had previously requested four unprotected picks for Caruso, but the final trade did not include any. This trade could impact the Bulls' negotiating power in future extension talks with Giddey, who is expected to demand at least $25 million per year.