Chicago Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Western Conference team

Apr 3, 2018; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso (4) warms up prior to the game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Caruso is back in the Western Conference, though with a different team.

The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a trade that will see the teams swap guards. Caruso will head to the Thunder, while the Bulls will receive Josh Giddey.

After coming off the bench most of his career with the Lakers, Caruso has mostly been a starter with the Bulls. He started 57 of 71 games with the Bulls last season. The 30-year-old has been honored as an All-Defensive player two years in a row.

Giddey has played well for the Thunder since they drafted him No. 6 overall in 2021. The Australian guard has averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game during his three-season career in the NBA. The 21-year-old Giddey is entering the final season of his rookie deal that will pay him $8.3 million next season. OKC may have felt comfortable trading him away knowing that he’s not far off from a big contract extension.

Caruso is in a similar position with his contract. He had signed a 4-year, $41 million deal with the Bulls as a free agent in 2021 and is set to make nearly $10 million in the upcoming season.

The Thunder may have made the trade with the belief that Caruso is a more affordable long-term option for them than Giddey.

Caruso is entering the final year of his deal and becomes eligible for a four-year, approximately $80M extension exactly six months from the date of this trade. The Thunder made the trade with the hope to have Caruso as an integral player for the long-term. https://t.co/ZDO8fL4Js7

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2024