In a trade that left many scratching their heads, the Chicago Bulls seem to have pulled off a heist by acquiring Josh Giddey from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a move that one well-known NBA analyst has given the thumbs up.
The Bulls swung the deal for Giddey on June 20, and the NBA media landscape lit up with debates. Critics were quick to point out that Chicago didn’t squeeze any draft picks out of OKC for Alex Caruso, but not everyone saw it as a botched opportunity.
Enter Bill Simmons from The Ringer, who dropped a bit of a bombshell on his podcast, claiming the Bulls actually came out on top in the Giddey-Caruso trade. Simmons admitted that while Chicago didn’t nab any draft assets from Oklahoma City, it still managed to secure the win.
“The consensus was, how did OKC manage this without tossing in any picks? Why didn’t they add some draft sweeteners?” Simmons pondered. “This isn’t even a hot take … it feels like a zag. Maybe not even a hot zag. I genuinely believe Chicago won the trade. I’m a big fan of Giddey … he’s just 21.”
Simmons highlighted Giddey’s impressive stats, noting that players his age who’ve averaged 15 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds per game (over at least 60 games) are in elite company: Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and LaMelo Ball.
At 21, Giddey is set to revolutionize the Bulls’ backcourt for the 2024-25 season. Rumor has it that Giddey’s arrival has Chicago reconsidering whether to keep Zach LaVine on the trade block, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this already fascinating trade saga.
