Josh Giddey Still has 'Love' for OKC Thunder

To achieve an NBA Championship, sacrifices have to be made along the way. Trading Josh Giddey was one that the Oklahoma City Thunder had to encounter in its journey to its first NBA Finals victory.

Last summer, the Thunder dealt away Giddey to the Chicago Bulls. In return, it received Alex Caruso — a key piece of its championship team. While Giddey certainly found success during his time in Oklahoma City, the fit wasn't what the franchise ultimately needed to take the next step forward.

Now looking at his former teammates enjoying the achievement that he helped the Thunder build toward, one might expect Giddey to feel a certain type of way about it. However, the guard still retains support for the franchise and all of his friends off the court.

"The next team I've watched the most is OKC," Giddey said on Ball Magnets. "I love them, and I'm so close with a lot of the guys there, so that's probably the main thing. I genuinely root for those guys and want them to win the championship."

Obviously, the Bulls would come first if they ever reached the finals, but if it's anyone else, Giddey wants it to be Oklahoma City. The Thunder's young corps is noted as one of the closest teams in the league, and even with a year apart, Giddey is still welcomed as a close friend for much of the roster.

The pairing working out would've been nice, Giddey was a fan favorite and was beloved in the locker room, but both sides needed to split to be the best version of themselves. In Chicago, the Australian native had the most productive season of his career thus far.

Giddey even mentioned the fact that the franchise "was so good to him," treating his development well and any needs that he had. The Thunder will always be a piece of him, and so will he to Oklahoma City.

If he wanted, the Thunder would most certainly let him spend some time with the Larry O'Brien trophy — just not for too long.