The trade that netted the OKC Thunder Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls last offseason has been widely celebrated by the fanbase as one of the biggest heists in recent memory.
From his sensational two-way play throughout his debut campaign to his leadership that helped guide the club through serious adversity and, ultimately, to an NBA Championship, the veteran proved to be an invaluable part of Oklahoma City’s core in 2024-25.
Of course, on the flip side, Josh Giddey, who was shipped out to Chicago in the exchange, found himself putting forth arguably the best season of his career, as he went on to drop 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals on 46.5 percent shooting from the floor and 37.8 percent shooting from distance.
Unfortunately, however, the Bulls still seem reluctant to commit to the 22-year-old for the long haul, at least at the average $30 million price tag Giddey is reportedly looking to receive, which has some believing he could end up moving on from the Windy City in restricted free agency at some point this offseason and reduce Chicago’s return for the All-Defensive guard in Caruso to literally nothing.
As a result, such news has many Thunder fans elated just thinking about how this team may have pulled off one of the most lopsided deals of the decade.
However, the potential end of Giddey’s tenure in Chicago could actually negatively impact OKC to some extent, as recent rumblings suggest a direct threat to their repeat aspirations is interested in acquiring his services.
Josh Giddey could help Warriors try to dethrone Thunder next season
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Golden State Warriors have already reached out to Giddey’s representation regarding his ongoing standoff with the Bulls in restricted free agency negotiations and have expressed “interest” in pursuing his services in some sort of sign-and-trade scenario.
Now, while it was noted in his reporting that Chicago has been telling teams “they don’t want to talk sign-and-trade” when it comes to Giddey, it’s important to note that the organization has been long linked as having interest in attaining the services of Jonathan Kuminga, who’s RFA negotiations with the Dubs are also at a standstill.
While far from a guarantee to happen, Fischer believes “some kind of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade” could be plausible. Should this turn into an actual transaction, it could greatly benefit the Warriors and, in turn, have a direct impact on the Thunder moving forward.
With his high basketball IQ, positional versatility, and incredible distribution skills, there’s a case to be made that Giddey would fit seamlessly into Golden State’s positionless, constant ball movement scheme right from the jump.
On top of this, considering the club is filled to the brim with aging stars like Stephen Curry (37), Draymond Green (35), and Jimmy Butler (35) leading the charge, landing the young guard on a long-term deal would give the Warriors a potential centerpiece to build around for the future.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, though the Thunder are the heavy favorites to take home their second-straight Larry O’Brien Trophy, Golden State is seen as a top-10 threat to win it all as currently constructed.
Throwing the multi-faceted talents of Josh Giddey into the mix would almost certainly increase their odds of winning the NBA Finals, thus having them become an even bigger threat to OKC both in the now and down the road than they already are.
