Last summer, the OKC Thunder pulled off what is considered by some to be one of the most lopsided trades since the Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blockbuster of 2019, as they swapped out an out-of-place role player in Josh Giddey for an on-paper schematic upgrade in Alex Caruso.
Ultimately, the veteran's on-paper fit proved to seamlessly translate to on-court production, as he helped spearhead Oklahoma City's league-best defensive punch with his top-ranked 102.5 defensive rating and played a significant role in the club taking home their first ever Larry O'Brien Trophy.
As for Chicago, they missed the postseason altogether for the seventh time in eight years, and still ended up being strong-armed into coughing up a lucrative new $100 million extension for Giddey, roughly $20 million more than the one Caruso inked with the Thunder.