The Oklahoma City Thunder had the best regular season record in the Western Conference last season with Josh Giddey starting 80 games. His talent is unquestionable, but flaws were exposed in the playoffs. Giddey is best with the ball in his hands and that could not happen in OKC, so the Thunder traded the 21-year-old this offseason for Alex Caruso.
It was a straight swap with no draft capital attached. The trade was instantly billed as a win (subscription required) for the Thunder, but that is assuming Josh Giddey doesn’t improve his game. Caruso is 30 years old and in his prime. Oklahoma City received an elite role player and defender, but who knows what Giddey can be as he is still years away from his prime.
In his first chance, the young guard made the Thunder regret the trade. Giddey shined at the Olympics, despite Australia being bounced in the quarterfinals. Here is a look at his performance and why this trade took a small turn for the worse for Oklahoma City.
Josh Giddey proved he is ready for a massive stage at the Olympics
In his four games in Paris, Giddey averaged 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 29.4 minutes per game. FIBA games are only 40 minutes, but he started every contest and was Australia’s lead playmaker. The 6’8 guard made eight of his 18 3-point attempts and did not shy away from the moment.
Not everything went right for Giddey at the Olympics. He had 25 points and seven turnovers in their quarterfinal loss to Serbia. The 21-year-old struggled against Greece and finished with just nine points, six assists, and five turnovers. Australia won just one of their four games in 2024 after winning the bronze medal in Tokyo.
It was a positive that he took and made threes and wanted the ball in key moments. Giddey has untapped potential, and it was on display in Paris.
He did not look ready for the moment in the playoffs. The 6’8 guard averaged just 6.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 12.6 minutes per game in the second round as the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder. Eventually, head coach Mark Daigneault took him out of the starting five as Giddey never found his confidence.
Oklahoma City wanted him to come off the bench moving forward, so Giddey requested a trade. The 21-year-old has all the motivation he needs to prove the Thunder wrong. If he improves his shooting and defense, Oklahoma City may regret letting him go. That is no slight on Alex Caruso, but Giddey has the potential to be more impactful and play a much larger role if he reaches his ceiling.
So far so good for Josh Giddey, but this trade has years before things will be fully sorted. The Oklahoma City Thunder believe Caruso can be a key piece of a title run like he was for the Lakers in 2020. If that happens, the franchise will certainly view this deal as a win. Giddey landed the first blow, but the Thunder still believe they will get the last laugh.