OKC Thunder Could Miss Josh Giddey's Passing Ability Next Season

The Thunder seemingly found a missing piece in their latest deal, but it might have opened a hole in the playmaking department.

Mar 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) passes next to New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City’s starting lineup will look different next season, and it will miss some playmaking.

On Thursday, the Thunder traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso in their first move of the offseason. After Giddey struggled throughout the regular season, he was moved to the bench for the team’s final two playoff games against the Dallas Mavericks.

Although Giddey still needs to develop as a scorer, shooter and defender to fulfill the potential Oklahoma City saw in him, there is one area he had nearly perfected throughout his first three seasons. Much maligned for his struggles in almost every other category, passing was Giddey’s specialty with the Thunder, and he gained no shortage of recognition around the league for his playmaking.

Coined the SLOB Wizard by John Hollinger at the beginning of last season for his sideline out-of-bounds passes, Giddey had cemented himself as the Thunder’s go-to for inbounds plays. While he never developed into a robust scoring threat in Oklahoma City, Giddey also managed to be a skilled passer in half-court and transition situations.

Last season, Giddey led the Thunder in passes with 3,365 and was second on the team in assists with 386. Even when his teammates could not convert, Giddey had a knack for setting them up, finishing the year with 600 potential assists behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As the Thunder look to replace Giddey’s production as a passer, the obvious answer might be for Jalen Williams to handle the ball more and take on a larger role as a playmaker. Last season, Williams finished third on the Thunder in assists and potential assists, narrowly trailing Giddey for second in those categories.

Williams played significantly more minutes per game than Giddey and averaged slightly more potential assists per game. His next step will be to set up his teammates more often and give them higher-quality looks.

Of course, Williams will not be alone in making up for the void left by Giddey’s passing. The Thunder reportedly want to give Chet Holmgren more playmaking opportunities next season. Pair those stars with Cason Wallace going into year two and Caruso, who has shown he can be a solid passer throughout his career, and the Thunder should not have to worry much about the absence of the former No. 6 overall pick.

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