The official statement provided by the Bulls included zero commentary from a front-office member. No comment thanking Alex Caruso for his services. No comment hyping up Josh Giddey despite the immediate backlash the trade received online. Not only does it feel like another tone-deaf response from Arturas Karnisovas and Co., but it just feels sloppy. Is my overall frustration with the organization affecting my reaction to something as minute as a press release? Probably. But it seriously feels like the bare minimum for a front office to get a puff statement out after a big trade.
Take Sam Presti, for example. The Thunder’s official announcement of the trade included a lengthy statement from their front office leader. He thanked Giddey for his time with the franchise and wished him well in Chicago. Of course, he also explained why the Thunder viewed Alex Caruso as a crucial addition. Oh, how I envy Thunder fans.
Rarely do you see nearly everyone agree that a team lost a trade. Typically, you see a handful of people try to zig while everyone else zags. But that’s very hard to find here. From the locals to the national media, the general consensus appeared to be – “HOW THE HECK DID THEY GET NOTHING ELSE!?” If you don’t believe me, let me share some of the trade grades from across the interweb …
So what grades am I handing out? Well, I’d give the Thunder an A+ in a heartbeat. Giddey had fallen out of favor thanks to the addition of several other high-upside young players over the past couple of seasons. They knew it was time to move on from him. In return, they get one of the NBA’s top defenders after already finishing No. 1 in the Western Conference. Oh, and they get to keep their stockpile of picks!
I give the Chicago Bulls a C-. While it’s true that what continues to happen this offseason will impact how we view this trade, it’s also true that they lost this negotiation. Caruso is coming off a career year on one of the best contracts in the NBA (even if it is the last year of that deal). Giddey is coming off his worst year and is up for a rookie scale extension. The Bulls had all the leverage in this situation. They should have AT LEAST been able to get an extra asset.
Now, the reason I’m not going lower than the C range is that Giddey feels like a solid buy-low candidate. He is a former No. 6 overall pick who is only 21 years old and averaged nearly 17.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds during the 2022-23 season. Does he have his flaws? Absolutely. The jump shot is gross, as is his defense at times. But he at least represents a version of the long-term gamble the Bulls should be making right now. I think Bulls fans will be pleasantly surprised with him at times this year, as he isn’t as bad as last season’s playoff run represents. At the same time, development is key, and the Bulls haven’t necessarily flourished in that department over the years.
If Bulls fans want to get a closer eye on Giddey, he is expected to be leading Team Australia at the Paris Olympics later this summer. The roster also featured notable names like Joe Ingles, Dante Exum, Patty Mills, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green, and more.
Coby White spoke with SLAM about his breakout season and what he hopes to accomplish down the road. During the interview, he was asked about the challenges he faced early on in his career, and I hope it’s something the Chicago Bulls think about as they welcome in more young talent:
“It was hard at first, especially as a rookie. You kind of look around the League and see all your counterparts who were drafted around the same area as you, and you see a lot of guys playing 36 minutes, starting, leading their teams to wins and playing [in] those crunch-time moments. For me, I was coming off the bench, playing, like, 18 minutes a game. I think the mental part was the toughest for me. I’ve always been a hard worker and always worked on my game. I just wanted to show them that no matter what position you put me in, I’m going to continue to be myself and work how I always work in the gym,” White said.
Playing time is so important for these first-round picks. I understand that proving your worth is important, but I’d say the same about having room to make mistakes. Whomever the Bulls select in next week’s draft, this player would be a part of the rotation right away with a pretty long leash. Anyway, make sure to read White’s full interview here. He named the All-Star Game as one of his next personal goals!
Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.
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