Stiles Points: Josh Giddey Trade Proves OKC Thunder Ready for Serious Contention

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a blockbuster move on Thursday which proved they are ready to be viewed as legitimate contenders.

Jan 13, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso (6) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to pull off a shocking blockbuster trade. The Thunder grabbed one of the best defenders in the league, Alex Caruso, for former No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey in the rare one-for-one swap.

This move came out of left field and left the ballpark in the same direction as OKC's top executive Sam Presti pulled off another home run trade.

After a rocky 2023-24 campaign that ended in Giddey seeing his 218-game starting streak snapped in Round 2 of the playoffs, it felt likely that the OKC Thunder would move on from the former top-ten pick as he hurled toward restricted free agency following this season - a destination Presti has rarely let players reach before making a decision one way or the other.

The fit was never right for Giddey and while some would argue giving the 21-year-old more time in Bricktown for a team that navigated the puzzle piece mashing to the tune of 57 wins, this was the correct course of action.

To no fault of Giddey, it was never going to work in Oklahoma City. The Thunder got too good, too fast, and the roster blew past the 6-foot-8 ball handler who suffered through a season in a role that could not be further from the one he was meant to be in - John Wayne would have better luck playing a villain in a Western movie than Giddey being cast as an off-ball weapon.

No matter how much the 2021 first-round pick progresses, he will never fit into the catch-and-shoot, defensive, off-ball box the Thunder would need him to play.

Presti figured out how to flip their misfitted prospect for a 30-year-old with championship experience who checks all of those boxes. Gone are the days of hiding behind youth and development, with this move Presti ushers in an era of title contention for Oklahoma City.

While Oklahoma City is far from a finished product as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren still have plenty of room to grow as players - the Thunder have put a supporting cast around their young trio good enough to win a title in the 2024-25 season.

This move, along with the mountain of Draft assets, top-five in the league cap space and roster flexibility the Thunder have to work with this summer should signal to the rest of the league that Oklahoma City has arrived as serious contenders in an era of parity we have rarely seen in the sport.

When you rattle off past champions - and dynasties - they can all be linked to a key crude business decision to bolster their roster, a sneaky addition and a jaw-dropping nucleus. Oklahoma City has set itself up for this to be the start of their Championship DVD - or in the era of no more physical media, their Championship Youtube Video. Kids, DVD players were like CDs that played movies and CDs were like...forget it.

Stiles Points

• The Oklahoma City Thunder will instantly become the best defense in the NBA with the addition of Caruso on Thursday.
• In a rare one-for-one swap, the OKC Thunder still control the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, how does this trade impact their Wednesday outlook?
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters the 2024-25 season with top-five odds to win the MVP award, but it might not be a smart bet.
• Mark Daigneault was able to coach Caruso during their stint with the OKC Blue.
• Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort were officially tabbed to Team Canada's training camp roster for the 2024 Olympics.

Song of the Day: The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy.

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