“OKC with highway robbery!” – OKC swapping Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso without draft compensation has internet on fire

Alex Caruso solves the lack of leadership and defense for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“OKC with highway robbery!” – OKC swapping Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso without draft compensation has internet on fire

Oklahoma City Thunder swaps Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso without any draft compensation

Chicago Bulls star Alex Caruso was the name the NBA world heard the most before last season’s trade deadline. Often linking him with a return to Los Angeles, the Bulls, however, preferred to stick with him. As the first major off-season trade, they let him go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, they received Josh Giddey.

NBA fans on the internet were talking about the trade after they noticed what the Thunder managed to avoid. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news of the trade earlier today. He wrote about the latest trade on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

The Chicago Bulls are trading two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for guard Josh Giddey, sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski via X
YouTube video

What is missing from this message is the mention of any other trade compensation. Most notably, the trade was a straight swap without any draft compensation. This meant that the Oklahoma City Thunder swapped players without adding any draft picks.

FS Video

The Bulls were rumored to have been keenly looking for it in any talks regarding Caruso. The 30-year-old is now a two-time All-Defensive selection and will present the Thunder with a decent upgrade to their team defensively.

Defense was one of the main negatives the young Thunder had to try and overcome. In the regular season, elite offense can overcome a lack of defense. However, in the playoffs, defense suddenly becomes the most important factor.

Netizens go wild after Thunder bring in Alex Caruso for nothing

GM Sam Presti sent a 21-year-old All-Star potential player to the Bulls for an All-Defensive player. It may look like a loss on paper, but Giddey was already in a crowded situation. With the emergence of Jalen Williams, Giddey was staring at the prospect of losing his spot on the starting lineup. Therefore, it was the best time to trade him.

On the other hand, Alex Caruso could give the Thunder the leadership and defense they lack. Therefore, fans could not hold themselves back from lauding the work of GM Sam Presti, who did not lose much and gained a lot. Check out some of their reactions below:

https://twitter.com/BlandedDot/status/1803901309201826261

Josh Giddey should thrive with the Chicago Bulls as their main playmaker. It will also help his off-court situation after what transpired during the year. But despite all that, fans believe the Oklahoma City Thunder are the winners of this trade.

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