Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Josh Giddey Trade Still A Win-Win

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Josh Giddey this summer in a one for one swap with the Chicago Bulls to net back Alex Caruso. It is a trade that is a win-win for both sides.

Oct 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) poses for a picture with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates after a basketball game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

This summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bulls. Josh Giddey's tenure in Oklahoma City came to a predictable end after the former No. 6 overall pick was benched in the postseason to snap a 218-game starting streak and an emotional exit interview following the Thunder's second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Just days after the season ended, Sam Presti got to work on retooling the Thunder's roster which a year ago rattled off 57 wins en route to the No. 1 overall seed and won its first playoff series since 2016 via its second ever sweep in franchise history.

The first domino to fall was a one-for-one swap with the Bulls that shipped Giddey to the Windy City and netted back Alex Caruso to Bricktown where he began his career, with Mark Daigneault, in the G League for the OKC Blue.

This is a trade that just made sense in real-time. The Oklahoma City Thunder got a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into a championship identity while Giddey was shipped to a Chicago squad that would let him play a role more suitable for his style and with a guard whisperer in Billy Donovan.

"I have loved my time in Chicago since the day I got there...I think the last two months I have started to get more comfortable. I think with Oklahoma [City] my role changed and it is more of a compliment to the players that we had. We had multiple guys who needed the ball, multiple guys that commanded a bigger role...My role in Chicago, I feel like its me. I feel like I am about to play my game and who I am," Giddey said at shoot around on Monday.

Playing that role has paid off for Giddey –– soon to pay off, literally –– as the 22-year-old is posting 21.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game post-All-Star break on 51/49/81 shooting splits. The Australia native is finally playing with the ball in his hands as he was always meant to in a role the Thunder would never be able to give him.

The success that Giddey is having in Chicago should be celebrated and only further proves the win-win aspect of this swap, a rare outcome in modern sports.

Oklahoma City has broken its franchise record in wins, turning in a 62-12 mark to date and has seen Caruso's gritty style of play integrate into this Thunder team seamlessly and take an already good defense to an all-time great level. A style of play that would not be maximized by Chicago's roster. It is much easier or more rewarding to play an all-out style of defense for the two-time all-defensive team member on a championship contender than an Eastern Conference play-in squad. A win for the former Bull.

Chicago took a chance on Giddey's upside in a new role and it has paid off, as his extension looms this summer. Oklahoma City grabbed a winning player in its quest to capture its first Championship in club history.

Sometimes, life –– and sports –– is not about determining a winner and loser or who got one over on the other. Believe it or not, sometimes both parties can get what they want out of an exchange, as both teams, players and fanatics did of this swap.

Song of the Day: Life's Been Good by Joe Walsh

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