Oklahoma City Thunder pulls the trigger: Caruso Trade and Next Move | 24-25 Offseason
the Oklahoma City Thunder have made a significant move by trading Josh giddy to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso this rare one forone swap aims to strengthen the Thunder uh uh backcourt defense and provide veteran leadership with Caruso’s experience and defensive prowess moving forward the Thunder management might look to add more seasoned players to their roster potentially targeting Sharpshooters or versatile forwards enhancing their bench depth and adding experienced play players could help OKC compete more effectively with top teams in the Western Conference playoffs next season let’s dive in uh this is a comprehensive video so feel free to use the timeline below to jump to the sections that interest you the most we’ve broken down key points and discussions to make it easy for you to navigate in the 2023 t24 NBA season Josh giddy’s limitations became evident during the second round of the playoffs against the Mavericks the Mavs strategically assigned their Center to Giddy clogging the paint and neutralizing Chet hen’s presence this defensive tactic hindered shy gilgas Alexander sgaa and Jaylen Williams from exploiting Chet’s advantages on the court uh consequently giddy’s average playing time plummeted from 26.5 minutes in the first round to just 12.6 minutes in the second round the Mavericks weren’t intimidated by giddy shooting even though he could hit open Corner threes they were willing to take that chance prioritizing paint protection over contesting his shots this raised questions about giddy’s fit in the team’s future plans trading giddy for Alex Caruso seems like a viable option Caruso and offensive upgrade shot an impressive 40.8% from three-point range last season while Caruso’s defensive prowess earned him a spot on the alld defensive second team it’s essential to consider the role of size in playoff success this postseason the importance of size was highlighted the Mavericks after acquiring Daniel and PJ emerged as one of the top teams and reached the NBA Finals similarly the Pacers with Pascal cakam Advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after missing the playoffs last year the Timberwolves big men played a crucial role in defeating the defending Champions trading the 68 giddy for the 63 Caruso could have implications ruso excels as a guard but might struggle defensively against larger forwards unlike giddy the current Thunder starting lineup features sgaa at 66 lugan Dort at 63 Jaylen Williams at 65 and Chad holgren at 711 Caruso’s Edition might improve the guard position uh but could potentially compromise the team’s versatility and size with the trade for Alex Caruso already completed the Thunder need to focus on their next steps Sam pry may not be going to make a big trade this offseason to bring in a superstar although they have the cap space to do so to avoid hindering the development of Jaylen Williams and Chad hren however the current roster faces significant challenges against teams like the Mavericks Timberwolves and Nuggets first let’s discuss a potential trade to boost the Thunder’s size Cameron Johnson Thunder has enough cap under the net to acquire his contract without giving up any starter lineup player so the Thunder may put one bench end player into the trade around four M dollars contract then the Nets might request two first round pick I know it sounds a lot but hear me out the Thunder have five first round pick in 2025 their own Miami’s protected 114 Philadelphia’s protected 16 Utah’s protected 110 and one from Houston or Clippers the value of Thunders own pick in Miami or Philadelphia’s are are not that valuable very likely none of those will be Lottery picks so it is actually not as valuable as it sounds and if the Nets want the Thunder can add their number 12 pick this 2425 season since the Thunder clearly don’t have the resources or time to develop another rookie with another first round pick in 2025 Cameron Johnson a 68 forward has proven to be a reliable 3 andd player during the finals Journey with the Suns back in the 20 to 21 season he demonstrated his ability to perform form under pressure making him a valuable asset Johnson’s career average of 40% from three-point range and his capability in catch and shoot scenarios make him a perfect fit his size and rebounding skills fill the Gap left by Giddy and his defensive versatility allows him to guard top players like Luca donic Carl Anthony towns and Michael Porter Jr Johnson’s contract around $20 million per year until the 2026 to 27 season aligns well with the Thunder salary structure this flexibility is crucial as the team looks to build around its young core when he was back in the Suns with Chris Paul and Devon book he experienced two seasons of Western playoff and most of the games start from the bench he is a team player with good personaliz so it will not be a problem for him to fit into the current Thunders team cural when needed he can join the start line as well therefore this trade not only enhances the bench starting line up but also strategically positions the Thunder for future success any other options sizable forwards are a rare resource in the league at this moment Pascal cakam recently signed a189 Point M doll contract averaging almost 50 memi dolls per year there is no way New York will let OG anunobi leave as a free agent who else Johnson’s teammate M Bridges is also good but the Thunder will need to deal with his contract from 25 to 26 and the Nets may want more reward Ward than Johnson and bridges may not want to play as a bench player M bridges on ball skills are better than Johnson’s but the Thunder does not need that much jerami Grant is worth mentioning but his contract is a bit too long with a player option in the 2728 season when he is going to be 34 years old he is not the same type as he was playing with Denver nowadays he is more like a low efficiency attacker so probably not ideal Al alternatively the Thunder can try to acquire Dorian finny Smith who has reasonable size at 67s known for his defensive skills but offensively not as good as Johnson he only shot 34.8% Beyond The Arc last season with a career average of 34% however he can play From the Bench as a solution for for specific situations when the Thunder starter size is too small compared to their opponent finny Smith can play as a starter acquiring finny Smith might cost one 2025 first round pick and possibly one second round pick everyone knows they need a full-size Center to ease the load on shet especially against big centers like Daniel Gafford Derek Lively Su Nica jokic Carl Anthony towns and Rudy gobert who can they sign there are rumors that Jared Allen is unhappy with the Cavaliers and may potentially be on the market however acquiring Allen might be overkill for the Thunder situation Chad will still play center 90% of the time and bringing Allen in would dramatically change the Thunder’s offensive tactics additionally acquiring Allen would require giving up significant assets who are better options as free agents Jonas fanas might be an option he has the size and strength to compete with big centers and can address the Thunder’s interior defense issues his presence could also reduce the need to collapse defensively against teams like the Mavericks who exploit corner 3es valunas can come off the bench if needed providing a sizable combination with Chet to seal the paint reports suggest that the Pelicans might not renew his contract due to Zion Williamson needing more offensive space the Thunders lineup offers more flexibility than the Pelicans other options are limited Isaiah hartenstein might be an attractive free agent but it’s unlikely New York will let him go Clint capella is available but doesn’t fit the Thunder’s needs as as well as volan unas after the above trades Thunder will still be under the first apron line and the player they acquire will not hold SGA jayen or Chet’s growth finally rumors Patrick Williams has been linked to the Thunder Raptors and hornets in free agency and Bleacher Report cooked up a possible swap with Oklahoma City seeing the Thunder send Usman dang kenrich Williams Josh giddy pick number 12 in the 2024 NBA draft a lottery protected 2025 first round pick via Miami and a 2028 first round pick via Dallas to Brooklyn for Bridges but we talk about this from a different angle already what do you think do you believe the trade to acquire Alex kuso was a good move for the Thunder what follow-up trades or signings do you think would enhance the Thunder’s lineup and make them more competitive next season ensuring they make the most of Shai gilgas Alexander’s Prime share your thoughts in the comments below thanks for watching if you enjoyed this analysis hit the like button and share it with other basketball fans your support helps us bring you more in-depth analysis and insights don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss our upcoming videos let’s see how the Thunder continue to build their roster
The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso, aiming to enhance their backcourt defense and leadership. What does this mean for OKC’s future? We explore potential trades, free-agent signings, and roster strategies to compete with top Western Conference teams next season. From adding size to strategic acquisitions, we cover it all!
#okcthunder #alexcaruso #joshgiddey
