Bulls trade Alex Caruso to OKC for Josh Giddey

[jnrjr79]

I would expect giddey to play at sg or sf and on the ball. Coby can play off the ball while playing pg positionally.

I think there's basically a 100% chance the Bulls brought him in to be the starting PG, and Woj's reporting has already alluded to as much, saying the Bulls view him as a Lonzo replacement. AK saw the team look great with a tall, extremely passing-talented PG, and has decided to get another one (absent the 3-point shooting and defense, which is significant).

I think Coby is likely the starting 2, and Ayo's role is TBD depending on other moves.

he could be a Lonzo replacement as in replacing Lonzo's playmaking, while playing another position from Lonzo

I guess it all depends what you mean. He’ll play the role of the 1 on offense, but might not be defending PGs primarily given his height.

[vtime]

Read on Twitter

Was just about to make this post. He can't spot up. At all. He's like Vuc at his position. Maybe he improves, but bro, we are starting from a bad spot. I guess Lonzo learned to shoot...here's hoping.

Caruso career playoff 3pt% 30.1
Giddey 35%

Caruso, one regular season at 10ppg
Giddey, 12, 17, 12

[dougthonus]

You actually know KC ?

I wouldn't say KC and I are great friends and hang out socially or anything, but I ask him to do my podcast once a year and he always says yes. We've met a maybe a couple dozen times when I used to do a few media events a year when I had my blog and occasionally email each other back and forth about Bulls topics.

Imo the Caruso trade has nothing to do with Demar. AC was in his last year and they wanted to get something out of him and they did they got themselves a good young player who will be a starter.

I don't think Caruso has anything to do with DeMar per se, but the player they got back might have something to do with him. I think Caruso leaving probably makes DeMar want to come here less and Giddey coming in makes the Bulls want to keep DeMar a little less. If this extension was 75% likely before the trade, I'd guess it's more like 40% likely now and that both sides have cooled.

Bulls being quiet about bringing back Demar could be a tactic to sign him to a cheaper contract. They know they are in the drivers seat here and only they can offer him a bigger contract but maybe Demars demands are too high and they are trying to lower it a bit.

They sure as heck should be playing hard ball with him if they do still want him back.

[vtime]

So with Giddy running point, whats everyones thoughts of getting John Collins back in a Lavine trade? We can use athleticism in the front court.

Nope

I like it. He spaces the floor, a lob threat for Giddey, consummate professional, and a movable contract, especially when it becomes an expiring, Really good bounce back year in Utah.

[DASMACKDOWN]

Bulls with Alex this season 34-37
Bulls without Alex this season 5-6

Wow we are really going to fall off a cliff without Alex

[vtime]

30 year old with 130 career starts averaging 7/3/3

for

21 year old with 210 starts averaging 14/7/6

Sure, but the old guy had a higher VORP, a higher FTR (amazing) and a much, much higher 3PR. Using counting stats isn't going to flatter AC, but his value around the league and advanced stats put him in a proper context. He's an elite 3 and D guy. He shot 40% from deep last year on a career high 6 attempts a game.

I don't even value AC as much as some here, but dismissing him based on 7/3/3 is wild.

People consider Caruso elite 3 and D player, but forget that in the playoffs his 3pt is 30% for his career. Giddey actually is higher at 35%.

[prolific passer]

Have to see how the trade will work out but I think you can gotten the thunder pick this year and another first round pick next year for the deep 2025 draft.

[SalmonsSuperfan]

Bulls with Alex this season 34-37
Bulls without Alex this season 5-6

Wow we are really going to fall off a cliff without Alex

I'm surprised he only missed 11 games, frankly.
also surprised about the general reaction to this trade. Caruso is a good player but super overrated. Giddey is more complete and younger and still has some potential for star power...and if not, he might be re-signed for a similar contract as Caruso. seems like a pretty good move to me but I'm still not over the fact that this guy is a slimeball. either he's a pedophile or he got "tricked" into being a pedophile. I don't know about you guys, but I've never accidentally had sex with a minor.

[WindyCityBorn]

Bulls with Alex this season 34-37
Bulls without Alex this season 5-6

Wow we are really going to fall off a cliff without Alex

I'm surprised he only missed 11 games, frankly.
also surprised about the general reaction to this trade. Caruso is a good player but super overrated. Giddey is more complete and younger and still has some potential for star power...and if not, he might be re-signed for a similar contract as Caruso. seems like a pretty good move to me but I'm still not over the fact that this guy is a slimeball. either he's a pedophile or he got "tricked" into being a pedophile. I don't know about you guys, but I've never accidentally had sex with a minor.

A 19 year old having sex with a 17 year old is not pedophilia. Stop using words you clearly don’t understand.

[SalmonsSuperfan]

Bulls with Alex this season 34-37
Bulls without Alex this season 5-6

Wow we are really going to fall off a cliff without Alex

I'm surprised he only missed 11 games, frankly.
also surprised about the general reaction to this trade. Caruso is a good player but super overrated. Giddey is more complete and younger and still has some potential for star power...and if not, he might be re-signed for a similar contract as Caruso. seems like a pretty good move to me but I'm still not over the fact that this guy is a slimeball. either he's a pedophile or he got "tricked" into being a pedophile. I don't know about you guys, but I've never accidentally had sex with a minor.

A 19 year old having sex with a 17 year old is not pedophilia. Stop using words you clearly don’t understand.

Well, you know, 15 actually and the charges were dropped because the child didn't want to talk to police and they didn't have other evidence aside from her testimony. Once again, I myself have never been in a position to have sex with a high school sophomore. Have you? Probably not. So either he's a child rapist or he's too stupid to make sure he's not **** children. Neither one looks particularly good. Check out what Wander Franco was getting up to in the MLB, that could be Giddey -- or it could be that he's a drunken party animal that will **** anything that moves without having the wherewithal to make sure the other party is legally able to consent to sex.

pretty good ball player though. I just think it's interesting that Reinsdorf apparently always had this "high character guy" policy and then suddenly over the course of a few months, they sign an "alleged" child abuser to the Sox and another one to the Bulls.

[dougthonus]

Well, you know, 15 actually and the charges were dropped because the child didn't want to talk to police and they didn't have other evidence aside from her testimony. Once again, I myself have never been in a position to have sex with a high school sophomore. Have you? Probably not. So either he's a child rapist or he's too stupid to make sure he's not **** children. Neither one looks particularly good.

He was 19 and met her at a club that had an 18 or older policy and the girl told him she was 19. I don't think there is anything definitive about how old she was, but from what I can tell the age she was believed to be was 17. They made a big deal about age of consent in OKC being 16 vs 18 in California in all the articles.

Either way, it's hard for me to believe this is a deeply rooted dangerous issue going forward. Of the reasons to not like Giddey, I don't think I'd list this as one of them.

[fleet]

Let's be clear. Giddey isn't a turnaround project. This isn't like taking a flier on Cam Payne or Noah Vonleh. On VORP, Giddey would have been the 3rd best Bull last season, behind only DeMar and Caruso.

Ultimately, of course, the Bulls need more than another pretty good player. They already have Coby and Ayo. You can collect as many guys at that level as you like and you will never win diddly. To truly succeed, you need really good players. But Giddey has a fair chance of reaching that level -- a stronger chance, I would argue, than anybody who is now on the Bulls, given both his age and tools.

Conceivably. About being really good, I’m very curious of what the Thunder think they know about what his ceiling will be to trade him for a good 30 year old role player

[SalmonsSuperfan]

Well, you know, 15 actually and the charges were dropped because the child didn't want to talk to police and they didn't have other evidence aside from her testimony. Once again, I myself have never been in a position to have sex with a high school sophomore. Have you? Probably not. So either he's a child rapist or he's too stupid to make sure he's not **** children. Neither one looks particularly good.

He was 19 and met her at a club that had an 18 or older policy and the girl told him she was 19. I don't think there is anything definitive about how old she was, but from what I can tell the age she was believed to be was 17. They made a big deal about age of consent in OKC being 16 vs 18 in California in all the articles.

Either way, it's hard for me to believe this is a deeply rooted dangerous issue going forward. Of the reasons to not like Giddey, I don't think I'd list this as one of them.

I'm gonna drop it but this is not the sort of guy I want to root for.

[TheJordanRule]

Let's be clear. Giddey isn't a turnaround project. This isn't like taking a flier on Cam Payne or Noah Vonleh. On VORP, Giddey would have been the 3rd best Bull last season, behind only DeMar and Caruso.

Ultimately, of course, the Bulls need more than another pretty good player. They already have Coby and Ayo. You can collect as many guys at that level as you like and you will never win diddly. To truly succeed, you need really good players. But Giddey has a fair chance of reaching that level -- a stronger chance, I would argue, than anybody who is now on the Bulls, given both his age and tools.

Conceivably. About being really good, I’m very curious of what the Thunder think they know about what his ceiling will be to trade him for a good 30 year old role player

I would chalk it up to a win now type of move than anything, brother. Teams in the championship contention phase of team construction make sacrifices for a stronger window. If I'm OKC and I already have a strong roster, along with a really young kid who doesn't fit the timeline for us to contend, sacrificing that young kid for a player who can bring a lot more right now, that makes sense. In this case, OKC is getting the Carushow... locker room leader, coach on the floor, bright mind and defensive beast to the point where he was DPOY despite being a guard. Giddey hasn't been that type of dude yet, but he's only 21. To me, this is one of those trades where both teams win because one team is trying to win it all (them) and one team is trying to rebuild (us).

[WindyCityBorn]

Let's be clear. Giddey isn't a turnaround project. This isn't like taking a flier on Cam Payne or Noah Vonleh. On VORP, Giddey would have been the 3rd best Bull last season, behind only DeMar and Caruso.

Ultimately, of course, the Bulls need more than another pretty good player. They already have Coby and Ayo. You can collect as many guys at that level as you like and you will never win diddly. To truly succeed, you need really good players. But Giddey has a fair chance of reaching that level -- a stronger chance, I would argue, than anybody who is now on the Bulls, given both his age and tools.

Conceivably. About being really good, I’m very curious of what the Thunder think they know about what his ceiling will be to trade him for a good 30 year old role player

They could be wrong. They are not infallible. They are so close to winning a championship that even if Giddey developed into a star it’s probably worth it for them to go to all in on win now.

[waffle]

I dunno about this trade...I sway back and forth

Why I don't like it
- the rumors we could have gotten really good picks EARLIER
- Caruso is obviously a team first guy and plays hard every freaking day
- Giddy MIGHT be one of those players who gets stats but actually isn't that good at the team sport of Basketball, or at least winning basketball
- His D is apparently very pedestrian
- We might have to resign Giddy sooner than I would like for more than I would like

Why I like this trade
- We weren't going to resign Caruso
- He's getting old for a hustle first kind of guy
- Giddy does everything DECENT, even his 3 ball at times is DECENT
- Giddy is a young pup at 21
- He does appear to be a very creative passer, something we lack in spades

The optimal outcome, as I am sure many have expressed, would have been picks picks picks picks picks. There is no comparison. Picks would have been better than Giddy

It is possible this was the best offer? But it is also possible this was a preferred outcome for this FO? Which would be unfortunate

This is a VERY meh trade.....Not that Giddy sucks? But that it really doesn't make much sense for THIS team at THIS time

[Evil_Headband]

Does anyone think Caruso may have indicated that he wouldn't extend and maybe even asked for or stated he was open to a trade to a contender? I ask because the organization was seemingly so incredibly high on Alex and his leadership and this seems like such a big pivot.

[DropStep]

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Was just about to make this post. He can't spot up. At all. He's like Vuc at his position. Maybe he improves, but bro, we are starting from a bad spot. I guess Lonzo learned to shoot...here's hoping.

Caruso career playoff 3pt% 30.1
Giddey 35%

Caruso, one regular season at 10ppg
Giddey, 12, 17, 12

Giddey's 3 point shooting was 4.3% higher than Vuc this year. That rate was also 7% higher than he shot two years ago. He's still continuing to getting better, hopefully for the next few years. All of his percentages went up somewhat last year (dramatically in the case of his free throw shooting), despite him having what had to be a tough year mentally, on and off the court. He does still seem to have a slightly weird cupping of the ball when he shoots, to my untrained eye, but I have hopes that in his prime, his 3p shooting percentage will end up at about average for a guard, which would be very useful. Go to it, Peter Patton.

[SirKaiser]

I think we all know the most frustrating thing about this trade is that it didn't happen sooner when we knew we weren't competing last year... or probably any of the years since Lonzo went down.

A deal like the one the Warriors were supposedly offering last trade deadline was no longer on the table, so we settled for this.

[SfBull]

We have no idea what offers were on the table.

But if Presti offered Giddey or the #12 pick (not both) which one would you choose?

I like Giddey but would have chosen #12 in a heartbeat, there's some very interesting players in this draft who'll be available at this spot.

In one of the worst drafts in the last 30 years? No way.

Sent from my SM-S928U using RealGM mobile app

Not so sure this draft is that bad.