Why the Alex Caruso trade to Thunder makes Bulls look bad

A one-for-one deal trading Caruso for the underachieving Giddey looks odd on its own. However, add that to a report that the Bulls passed on multiple trade offers for Caruso ahead of the trade deadline, one including a top-10 pick in this year's draft, and it only looks worse.

That's not to say that the Bulls lost the trade already. But, if they weren't willing to offer Caruso a long-term deal to stay, they should've sold while the bidding was high — playoff run or not.

For now, the Thunder appear likely to come out on the better end. Players who can defend are always needed, and Caruso, a two-time NBA All-Defense honoree, should seamlessly plug into an OKC rotation that already posted the lowest allowed field goal percentage in the NBA last year (45.2).

The 30-year-old isn't a one-trick pony, either. Last season, Caruso shot 40 percent from three and a career-high 46 percent from the field for the Bulls.

Giddey, on the other hand, might be a tougher sell. Through three seasons, he's yet to live up to the billing of being selected sixth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Last season for the Thunder, he averaged a career-low in points (12.3) and minutes (25.1). Meanwhile, Giddey virtually disappeared in the playoffs, averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists, playing 18.1 minutes per contest over 10 games (eight starts).

At 21, there's still time for Giddey's game to improve. And with an increased role in Chicago, perhaps that's where he blooms. But the early returns aren't promising. And there's no guarantee that he'll get an optimal opportunity for development with the Bulls, a franchise with a roster in flux.

Unrestricted free agent DeMar DeRozan reportedly wants to stay with the Bulls. The future of Zach LaVine remains murky as he is rumored to have been involved in as many as 15 trade proposals.

After settling for Giddey in the Caruso trade, it seems Chicago might have to do the same or worse with LaVine. The 30-year-old is entering the third season of a five-year, $215 million contract, which means the Bulls could have to sweeten the pot to find a willing suitor, something they might already be bracing for.

If Thursday's deal was the first step toward a Bulls' firesale or re-tooling, it isn't off to a strong start.