The Chicago Bulls have made it clear that Josh Giddey is the franchise's future at point guard, but they're still stubbornly refusing to pay him like it.
Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnišovas led the charge in trading Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City in exchange for Giddey, a younger player with more upside. One can quibble with the one-for-one swap (Karnišovas could have presumably landed some draft capital from the pick-laden Thunder), but the then-21-year-old Giddey fit more snugly with the Bulls' timeline and new vision.
The trade became a win-win. Caruso helped OKC win the 2025 NBA Championship, while Giddey had by far the best season of his career and proved he'll be an important piece for the next Bulls team that bypasses mediocre.