Josh Giddey traded to Chicago Bulls in blockbuster OKC trade

NBA fans have been left divided after Australian guard Josh Giddey was shipped out of Oklahoma in a blockbuster trade.

Australian NBA star Josh Giddey has been shipped out the door by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 21-year-old Aussie guard was traded to the Chicago Bulls early on Friday morning (AEST) in exchange for two-time NBA All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso.

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“The Chicago Bulls are trading two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.

The Thunder’s campaign came to an end during the second round of the NBA playoffs when they fell to the Dallas Mavericks.

Giddey struggled to make an impact throughout the playoffs with the guard ultimately relocated to a bench role for the final two games.

Giddey shipped out in blockbuster NBA trade (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Thunder now add one of the NBA’s most coveted role players in Caruso while the Bulls land their new playmaking star who can help them in their rebuild.

“The Bulls have been determined to find a playmaker to replace Lonzo Ball, and Giddey, 21, comes with an All-Star potential that would unlikely be realised with the Thunder because of the playmaking star power who surrounded him,” Wojnarowski wrote.

“Giddey was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and developed into one of the league’s most creative young playmakers. The Bulls will offer him an opportunity to have the ball in his hands and more freedom to pass and score. Chicago needed an engine for its offence, and the Bulls land that with Giddey.”

News of the trade sent shockwaves through the NBA community with fans furious the Bulls hadn’t received any draft compensation, others however believed it was a win-win for both teams.

NFL analyst Jacob Infante wrote: “Better have gotten some draft capital in addition to Josh Giddey … him for Alex Caruso would be a fleece for the Thunder. Hope I’m wrong.”

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell wrote: “Trading for Josh Giddey is embarrassing and absolutely a fireable offense on the surface. Please get some picks out of this and cut him.”

Another user wrote: “Alex Caruso 1 for 1 for Josh Giddey is genuinely one of the most inexcusably stupid trades I’ve seen in a long time.”

A second added: “Josh Giddey obviously has his question marks, but I don’t hate this for Chicago. They fumbled the chance to move Caruso already, getting somewhat of a proven player instead of a late first is solid.”

Alex Caruso as the first domino to drop in the Bulls' offseason is very interesting. He was by far the team's best defender and impacted winning the most. Trading the 30-year-old, championship-winning Caruso for a 21-year-old Josh Giddey screams totally new direction in Chicago.

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) June 20, 2024

Giddey endured a tough third season in the league after he found himself under investigation over an alleged relationship with an underage girl.

In the end he was cleared by a Newport Police investigation after they found no evidence corroborating allegations made in social media posts.

Giddey was booed and jeered at games as he continued to play in the aftermath of the allegations while he struggled on court.

The Aussie star has one year remaining on his rookie deal which will see him earn $12.47m next season.

Entering his third year, Giddey was in line for a mega contract extension that could have landed him a deal worth around $300 million.

It would have seen him surpass Ben Simmons as the richest ever deal signed by an Australian NBA player.

But as the season unfolded his role in the team diminished with his poor shooting abilities being exposed by rival teams.

He ended the season with career low averages of 12.3 points per game, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists, numbers that were well below what he produced in his rookie season.

Giddey is off to Chicago. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Caruso is now a member of the OKC. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

In a cruel twist of fate, Giddey spoke about wanting to continue his career in Oklahoma after the Thunder’s season came to an end.

“Yeah, I love it here,” he said. “This is a home away from home.

“I love everything about this place, the city, the fans.

“The organisation top to bottom is just unbelievable people throughout the building and getting to come here to work every day is a lot of fun. It doesn’t feel like work.”

Giddey made waves earlier in the week after he was spotted enjoying a night out in Melbourne with former AFL WAG Maki Lesko.

Lesko posted the photos to her 74,000 Instagram followers, showing herself and Giddey dancing in a nightclub and riding in a vehicle while Giddey checked his phone.

Josh Giddey has been linked with the Melbourne model Maki Lesko.

Josh Giddey has been linked with the Melbourne model Maki Lesko.

The Thunder finished the season with 57 wins which secured them the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference behind MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and young stars Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

The news of the blockbuster trade came hours after the Los Angeles Lakers dropped a bombshell in their search for a new head coach.

Following a dramatic search, the Lakers struck a four-year deal with first time head coach JJ Redick.

The 39-year-old will make roughly $8 million per season, according to The Athletic.

Redick co-hosts the “Mind the Game” podcast with Lakers star LeBron James, who can become a free agent this summer.

Redick, who has no coaching experience, most recently was an analyst for ESPN and called the NBA Finals with Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka offered Redick the job after being sold on his “ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ,” according to ESPN.

Redick is the new man in charge. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Redick retired from playing three years ago after 15 NBA seasons and was known as a sharpshooter, finishing with a career 41.5 shooting percentage from 3-point range.

The former Duke star, whom the Magic selected No. 11 overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, played parts of seven seasons in Orlando and later played for the Bucks, Clippers, 76ers, Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 12.8 points per game in his career.

He averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game with the 76ers during the 2018-19 season.

Redick was linked to the Lakers job ever since the team fired Darvin Ham on May 3 after a first-round playoff loss to the Nuggets in five games and first spoke to Pelinka at the NBA draft combine last month.

James, 39, holds a player option for the 2024-25 season and has yet to officially make a decision on his future, though his pal Redick becoming the Lakers’ coach ostensibly increases the likelihood he’ll stay.

Anthony Davis remains a top star when healthy, and he managed to play a career-high 76 games this past season, though injuries will remain a concern as the 31-year-old gets older.

The Lakers also met with Pelicans assistant James Borrego before settling on Redick.

- with Justin Tasch, NY Post

Originally published as Josh Giddey traded to Chicago Bulls in blockbuster OKC trade