A significant number of Chicago Bulls fans expressed dissatisfaction with the trade outcome involving Alex Caruso, particularly concerning the absence of draft picks in the exchange.
The discontent emerged following reports on Thursday that the Bulls had finalized a direct swap of Caruso for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey.
The primary grievance among fans was the Bulls’ inability to secure even a single draft pick from Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, who is renowned for his extensive collection of draft assets, often considered the richest in the NBA.
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Josh Giddey, a 21-year-old Australian, was previously regarded as a highly valuable trade asset. However, his value took a significant hit during the Thunder’s recent postseason efforts.
Defensive strategies employed by opposing teams, which involved laying off Giddey and challenging him to take shots, severely disrupted the team’s offensive spacing.
Consequently, Giddey’s participation plummeted to just 12.6 minutes per game during OKC’s second-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, a stark contrast to his average of 25.1 minutes during the regular season.
In contrast, Alex Caruso has proven his mettle as an exceptionally reliable shooter, boasting a remarkable 40.8% success rate from the three-point line on nearly five attempts per game last season.
Besides his sharpshooting, Caruso brings elite perimeter defense and valuable championship experience to the Thunder, qualities that are expected to greatly enhance their playoff aspirations next season.
With Caruso joining forces with Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are poised to establish what could be considered the strongest defensive backcourt in the league.
Despite the apparent strategic advantages Caruso offers the Thunder, the consensus among Bulls fans was clear: they felt that the trade should have at least yielded one draft pick from the Thunder’s extensive cache, reflecting their dissatisfaction with the overall deal.
