Josh Giddey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Caruso, Giddey, Jazz Draft, Smith

June 22nd, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Tristan Tucker

After issuing a candid statement on the one-for-one swap of Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso within a press release, Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke to reporters on Friday to further explain the move.

“The opportunity to add Caruso is really unique,” Presti said, per The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez. “Fortunately, everything lined up. If we couldn’t get the return that we wanted or the player that we wanted, we’d be in a different situation. But it worked out for everybody.”

Presti added that he’s sure Giddey would have returned and played in a bench role if the opportunity to acquire Caruso didn’t pan out. Although he praised Giddey, it was clear Presti was excited about the opportunity to add one of the league’s top guard defenders in Caruso.

“People often times look at height when they talk about wing players,” Presti said. “We look at effectiveness. His effectiveness on bigger wing players is extraordinary. … We’d rather someone who’s effective against those players than is ineffective but as tall.”

Caruso will join a Thunder team that ranked toward the middle of the pack in points allowed but registered a top-four defensive rating and ranked first in steals and blocks.

“The data on him is extremely high class,” Presti said. “It’s just another versatile player. … It’s all about the team [for Caruso]. It’s all about the technicalities and the curiosity about his own game and what it is he does well. He’s a colossal competitor, and we want to have as many of those guys as we can in the building.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Caruso, who played for the Oklahoma City Blue from 2016-17 under coach Mark Daigneault, is returning to Oklahoma City at the right time, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes in a subscriber-only piece. Caruso averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks last season while shooting 40.8% from three. He’ll look to help a Thunder team that finished first in the Western Conference this season get over the hump in the postseason.
The Jazz have an opportunity to bolster their roster with the Nos. 10, 29 and 32 picks in the 2024 draft, and they need to consider prospects who can shoot, defend or have a high feel for the game, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. In Larsen’s view, Utah should aim to take Colorado’s Cody Williams at No. 10, Kansas’s Johnny Furphy at No. 29 and Virginia’s Ryan Dunn at No. 32, if possible.
The Nuggets, who hold the No. 28 pick in Wednesday’s draft, are hosting G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith for a workout on Friday, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. The 6’11” big man averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 36.0% from three on 3.7 attempts last season.

Eastern Notes: Cavs, Atkinson, Bulls, Sixers, Knicks, Hawks

June 21st, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously reporting that James Borrego was viewed as the frontrunner for the Cavaliers‘ head coaching job, Marc Stein says (via Twitter) he heard multiple times on Friday that Kenny Atkinson‘s candidacy for the job is “gaining steam.”

Atkinson was identified early in the Cavs’ search process as the potential frontrunner, but multiple reporters – including Stein and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com – have said in recent weeks that Borrego appeared to have the edge. Those two former head coaches have been linked to the job most frequently and it certainly seems like one of them will end up being hired, but that’s not a lock. According to Stein, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori also remains in the mix for Cleveland.

If the Cavaliers wrap up their search and make a decision soon, it will have an impact on their division rivals in Detroit. Both Borrego and Nori are expected to interview for the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Bulls‘ acquisition of Josh Giddey signals that the team isn’t sold on the idea of a Lonzo Ball comeback, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who adds that director of player development and shooting coach Peter Patton has an “important project on his hands” in Chicago’s new lead guard, a career 31.0% three-point shooter. In his own look at the trade, Jon Greenberg of The Athletic contends that it’s “inexcusable” for the Bulls to make this kind of deal without acquiring any draft picks.
USC guard Isaiah Collier visited the Sixers this week for a pre-draft workout, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Once considered a possible top pick in this year’s draft, Collier has slipped to No. 23 on ESPN’s big board, so he could be available for Philadelphia at No. 16.
Yongxi Cui (China), David Jones (Memphis), Spencer Jones (Stanford), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), and Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) were among the players to work out for the Knicks on Friday, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy adds (via Twitter) that Arizona’s Keshad Johnson worked out for New York earlier this month.
The Hawks are hiring Ben Peterson away from the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and will make him their VP of player health and performance, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Pelissero’s report on Peterson, who was said to be “well-regarded” in San Francisco, has been confirmed by Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

Thunder Trade Josh Giddey To Bulls For Alex Caruso

June 21st, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have officially traded Josh Giddey to the Bulls for Alex Caruso, the two teams confirmed in press releases. Our full trade breakdown from Thursday can be found here.

While Chicago’s statement doesn’t have any quotes from the front office, Thunder head of basketball operations Sam Presti was remarkably transparent, at least from his perspective, about how and why the trade transpired.

“We want to thank Josh for his many contributions to our team and know he will capitalize on the opportunities before him in Chicago.

“When we drafted Josh in 2021 he was an essential aspect of our vision for the next iteration of the Thunder. Since then, our team has evolved rapidly and dynamically in ways we could never have anticipated. Therefore, as we began our internal discussions this offseason, it was determined that bringing Josh off the bench next season was our best option to maximize his many talents and deploy our team more efficiently over 48 minutes.

“As we laid out to Josh how he could lean into his strengths and ultimately optimize our current roster and talent, it was hard to for him to envision, and conversations turned to him inquiring about potential opportunities elsewhere. As always was the case, Josh demonstrated the utmost professionalism throughout the discussions. Josh has All-Star potential, but accessing that in the current construct of the Thunder would not be optimal for the collective. Based on these discussions we decided to move forward and prioritize what was best for the organization.

“Alex Caruso is a player we have always highly valued and followed. He is the quintessential Thunder player; he is an exceptional competitor and teammate with a multi-dimensional skillset. His presence and game will help elevate the core of our team as we continue to strive to build a sustainably elite program in Oklahoma City. Alex is a player that began his professional career with the Thunder/Blue and the opportunity to add him was something we felt would truly enhance our team and culture. We could not be more excited to see Alex in Thunder blue (again).”

A former sixth overall pick who is still only 21 years old, Giddey was brought off the bench for the first time in his career during the Thunder’s second-round series vs. Dallas due to shooting and defensive struggles. The Australian guard/forward, who is a very talented rebounder and passer, will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension with Chicago this offseason.

Caruso, meanwhile, has become one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, earning All-Defensive team nods each of the past two seasons. He’s also a more accomplished shooter than Giddey, with superior accuracy (38.0% vs. 31.0%) from three-point range during his career. The 30-year-old is headed for unrestricted free agency in 2025 if he doesn’t sign an extension before the 2024/25 campaign ends.

Bulls, Thunder To Swap Alex Caruso, Josh Giddey

June 20th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls and Thunder have reached an agreement on a trade that will send guard Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City, with guard Josh Giddey heading to Chicago, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The deal isn’t official yet, but it sounds like it will be a straight-up, one-for-one swap. It won’t include any draft compensation, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman and Marc Stein (Twitter links)

Caruso, one of the NBA’s best point-of-attack defenders, has earned All-Defensive nods and Defensive Player of the Year votes in each of the last two seasons. The 30-year-old has also developed into a reliable three-point shooter, making 40.8% of his 4.7 attempts per game in 2023/24 to push his career rate to 38.0%.

In 71 total games for the Bulls last season, Caruso averaged a career-high 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals in 28.7 minutes per contest, with a .468/.408/.760 shooting line. He’ll add even more defensive firepower to a Thunder team that ranked fourth in defensive rating (111.0) in ’23/24 and also features lockdown defenders like Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace.

The Bulls had resisted trade offers for Caruso in recent years, but decided to part with him as he enters the final year of his current contract. He’ll earn $9.89MM in 2024/25 and will be extension-eligible beginning in July, though he won’t become eligible for his maximum extension (four years, $78MM+) until six months after the trade.

If he doesn’t sign a new contract with Oklahoma City at some point during the coming league year, Caruso will reach unrestricted free agency next summer. However, Wojnarowski (Twitter links) reports that the Thunder had pursued the veteran guard for a while and are making the deal with an eye toward keeping him long-term.

As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer points out (via Twitter), it will be a reunion for Oklahoma City and Caruso, who played for the OKC Blue in the G League under Mark Daigneault in 2016/17.

Giddey, the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, started all 210 regular season games he played for the Thunder over the past three seasons and showed intriguing upside as a play-maker during that time. His best season came in 2022/23, when he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game on .482/.325/.731 shooting.

However, Giddey took a step back in ’23/24, averaging a career-low 12.3 PPG and 4.8 APG as his playing time dipped from 31.1 MPG to 25.1 MPG. While he improved his three-point percentage to 33.7%, he remained inconsistent from beyond the arc, resulting in opposing defenses sagging off of him. That led to the Thunder eventually moving him to the second unit for the first time in his career during the team’s second-round playoff series vs. Dallas.

Giddey was also the subject of investigations by the NBA and local police due to allegations that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a minor, but both the league and police closed their investigations into that matter due to a lack of corroborating evidence.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Bulls had been “determined” to find a play-maker capable of replacing Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined due to knee problems since January of 2022 and is entering the final year of his contract. There’s optimism in Chicago that Giddey, still just 21 years old, will have a clearer path to realizing his full potential in a situation where he has the ball in his hands more often — he often ceded ball-handling duties to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City.

The deal will save the Bulls a little money in 2024/25, with Giddey set to earn $8.35MM in the final year of his rookie contract. The difference between that figure and Caruso’s isn’t massive, but could end up being significant, given that Chicago’s team salary could approach or surpass the luxury tax line this offseason.

Like Caruso, Giddey will be extension-eligible with his new team. The Bulls will have until the day before the start of the regular season to negotiate a rookie scale extension with their new lead guard. If they don’t come to terms by that point, he would be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes (via Twitter), this will be the first time the Bulls have made a trade involving a player since August 2021. It sounds like it probably won’t be the last deal the team makes this summer, with Zach LaVine and Ball said to be among the other trade candidates to watch.

Bulls Have Discussed LaVine With Kings, Jazz, Magic, Sixers

June 20th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls have been active in trade discussions heading into the 2024 NBA draft and free agency, reports K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to exploring moving up and down from the 11th pick, Chicago has also discussed players already on the roster as well.

Sources tell Johnson that head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has “floated as many as 15” trade proposals involving Zach LaVine. The Kings, Jazz, Magic and Sixers are among the teams Chicago has called about LaVine, according to Johnson.

As Johnson observes, the Bulls will almost certainly need to trim salary to avoid the luxury tax in 2024/25 if they intend to re-sign DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams. DeRozan, who is extension-eligible through June 30, will be an unrestricted free agent, while Williams is restricted.

Johnson reported earlier this month that Chicago’s asking price for LaVine has significantly dropped compared to last year, when they were seeking real assets in return for the 29-year-old. It seems the Bulls are now more focused on finding a way to shed LaVine’s pricey salary — he’s owed $138MM over the next three seasons, including a $49MM player option in 2026/27.

A two-time All-Star, LaVine was limited to just 25 games this past season due to a nagging foot injury, which eventually required season-ending surgery.

To this point, the Bulls have been focused on offering DeRozan short-term deals, Johnson writes. While there’s been “widespread speculation” that the Thunder, Pistons and Hornets may put out offer sheets for Williams, Johnson hears the Bulls are comfortable with their position since they have the right to match any contract the former No. 4 overall pick might receive.

Johnson also mentions Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso as names to watch on the trade market. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski just reported that Caruso is being sent to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey.

As for the lottery pick, Johnson cites Providence’s Devin Carter, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, G League Ignite’s Ron Holland and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski as potential targets, though the Bulls have gotten a close look at a “wide range of prospects.”

Thunder Notes: Hartenstein, Claxton, Collins, Joe, Wiggins, Giddey, Williams

June 16th, 2024 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Following a breakthrough year in which they earned the top seed in the West, the Thunder are in position to address their most glaring need by adding another big man in free agency, writes Keith Smith of Spotrac. Oklahoma City can clear roughly $35MM in cap space, mostly by renouncing the rights to free agent forward Gordon Hayward.

Smith points to Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein and Nets center Nic Claxton as two ideal targets. Hartenstein can contribute on both ends of the court, and he may be easier to obtain because New York is limited in what it can offer. With Early Bird rights on Hartenstein, the Knicks can give him roughly $72.5MM over four years, a figure that OKC can easily top. Claxton would add a shot-blocking element to the team’s already-strong defense, but he’s limited offensively and Brooklyn may be willing to pay whatever it takes to keep him.

Smith lists a few other options if the Thunder decide to pursue a forward rather than a center, such as Pascal Siakam, Patrick Williams, OG Anunoby and Paul George.

If general manager Sam Presti prefers a trade, Smith suggests Jazz big man John Collins, who will make $26.6MM in each of the next two seasons and can be acquired via cap space with about $8.5MM left over. Smith notes that Collins’ contract will expire before OKC has to start handing out extensions to its young players.

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

The Thunder will likely pick up their $2.2MM option on Isaiah Joe for next season with an eye toward a possible extension, Smith adds in the same piece. Smith also expects the team to keep Aaron Wiggins, either by exercising its $2MM team option and trying to sign him to an extension or turning down the option and hoping to reach a new deal with him as a restricted free agent. Smith sees Lindy Waters III on the “roster bubble,” while the team’s other free agents likely won’t return.
There’s a growing perception that Josh Giddey will be traded this summer, but Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman contends the Australian swingman’s struggles were exaggerated. Even though Giddey was benched in the playoffs and saw his minutes reduced during the regular season, Mussatto notes that he has improved his three-point shooting, having gone from 26.3% as a rookie to 33.7% this season. Mussatto also cautions that it might be too early to make a long-term decision on Giddey, who has another year left on his rookie contract and won’t turn 22 until October.
Chet Holmgren‘s return from injury cut into Jaylin Williams‘ playing time, but Williams still showed he can be an effective big man in the Thunder’s system, Mussatto adds in a separate story.

Northwest Notes: Giddey, Malone, Nuggets’ Draft, Wolves

June 8th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards could have interest in Josh Giddey if the Thunder decide to move him this summer, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic suggests on his Game Theory Podcast (hat tip to Rylan Stiles of Inside the Thunder). Vecenie notes that Washington general manager Will Dawkins, a former Oklahoma City executive, was heavily involved in the process when the Thunder drafted Giddey with the sixth pick in 2021.

Vecenie doesn’t place a high price tag on Giddey, theorizing that OKC could get the Wizards’ No. 26 pick and a future second-rounder in return: “That feels like it is about the price point, to be honest with you, for where Giddey is right now and where the playoffs ended with him, this feels like a reasonable offer for Giddey.”

The third-year swingman has been a starter since his rookie season, but he was ineffective in the second-round series against Dallas. Giddey averaged just 12.6 minutes per game and connected at 43.2% from the field and 18.8% from three-point range as the Mavericks dared him to shoot. Giddey will be extension-eligible this summer, but the Thunder may opt to trade him rather than committing to another long-term salary with so much young talent on the roster.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

During an appearance on the Jim Rome show, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said there have been discussions about trading the 28th pick (video link from Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). Malone responded, “You can never have enough shooting” when asked about team needs, and although he said Denver has the league’s best starting five, he expressed concern about that group being overworked again.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post offers his insight into players the Nuggets are projected to take in various mock drafts if they hold onto their first-round pick. ESPN and Yahoo Sports both have Denver selecting Dayton center DaRon Holmes II, whom Durando describes as a versatile big man capable of protecting the rim and spacing the floor. Other mock drafts give the Nuggets Duke center Kyle Filipowski, Indiana forward Kel’el Ware, Creighton wing Baylor Scheierman and California wing Jaylon Tyson.
Michael Rand of the Star Tribune examines the debate over whether the Timberwolves should keep the core of their current roster together or try to shake things up with an offseason trade.

Thunder GM Presti: I “Missed” On Hayward Trade

May 28th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said he made a mistake by trading for Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, according to ESPN.

Hayward was supposed to provide a veteran presence to the rotation but barely played in the postseason. Oklahoma City gave up three players and two second-round picks for Hayward.

“I missed on that,” Presti said Tuesday during his end-of-season press conference. “That’s on me. But I’m learning, I’m trying to learn this team, I’m trying to learn the pace of the team a little bit. And trying to be a great observer of the team as it’s going through its paces, knowing that it’s really going to change on its own in and of itself.”

Hayward, who is headed to free agency, expressed frustration over his role after the team was eliminated.

“Obviously disappointing with kind of how it all worked out. This is not what I thought it would be. Certainly frustrating. … We have a great team here with great young players, a great coach. So the future is bright,” Hayward said, adding, “I feel like as a player I have a lot to offer. I just wasn’t given much of an opportunity to do that.”

As Presti pointed out, the move at least created some cap flexibility going forward for the Thunder, since all three of the players they sent to Charlotte in the deal are owed guaranteed money for 2024/25, whereas Hayward’s $33MM+ salary will come off OKC’s books this summer.

Here’s more from Presti’s press conference, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman:

Presti is happy with the team and coaching staff in place. “It’s not a matter of knowing what you need,” he said. “It’s a matter of knowing what you have. … I think one of the things that we learned is we have a really good base to work with.” As usual, Presti is armed with plenty of draft capital and approximately $35MM in cap space. And once again, he doesn’t feel the need to get a star player to complement what he already has on the roster. “I think we learned that we do have some guys in (Chet Holmgren) and (Jalen Williams) who are certainly not there yet, but I wouldn’t bet against them,” Presti said. “We didn’t mortgage our future to get that result. We didn’t do anything performative to accelerate that process. … But I’m glad we took the path that we did. Ultimately, we trusted the team.”
Presti wouldn’t tip his hand regarding Josh Giddey, who is extension-eligible this offseason but was removed from the starting lineup in the second round of the playoffs. “He is tough, and he is clutch,” Presti said. “He has been asked to change some things and adjust to different things, and he hasn’t flinched one time. He’s trying to figure out how to best help the team. … We’ll sit down and have those conversations relative to his contract when those are appropriate. But we also don’t have to do anything right now either because he has another year. I’m super open-minded about all of our players and where I think they can get to.”
With the No. 12 pick in the draft, Presti is wide open about the type of player he’ll pick. “We’re not looking for something specific, like an on-court need,” he said.

NBA Closes Investigation Into Josh Giddey

May 23rd, 2024 at 1:53pm CST by Rory Maher

In January, the Newport Beach Police Department closed its investigation into Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey. He was not charged with a crime after no corroborating evidence was found.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the NBA has closed its own investigation into Giddey after reaching a similar conclusion (Twitter link).

In November, a series of posts on social media accused Giddey of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl who is a student at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach. That prompted both the NBA and the Newport Beach Police Department to open investigations into the claims.

However, TMZ reported at the time that the alleged minor and her family were unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement officials. Both investigations are now closed.

In addition to the off-court allegations, Giddey had an up-and-down season on the court as well, culminating in being benched in the Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. The Thunder lost the playoff series in six games.

“There’s been days where you don’t feel like getting out of bed for a number of reasons,” Giddey said during his exit interview, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “As I said, I’m just lucky to have people around me that care, that were there for me. Coming in the gym every day, seeing my teammates, that helps.”

The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. The 21-year-old made it clear he’d be thrilled to stay with the team long-term and he’s determined to improve his shooting and defense going forward, according to Lorenzi.

“I can’t wait to get back next season and show that I’m a different player,” Giddey said, “and to never let what happened this series happen again.”

And-Ones: Ball Lawsuit, McCollum, Australia’s Olympic Team

May 21st, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets are being sued by a North Carolina woman who claims Ball allegedly struck her son with his vehicle during an attempt to obtain Ball’s autograph, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday. The alleged incident occurred in October 2023, when the Hornets hosted a fan event at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

A number of fans, including the woman’s 11-year-old son, approached Ball’s vehicle at a traffic light. According to the lawsuit, when the light turned green, Ball drove “in a grossly negligent and reckless manner in that he accelerated his vehicle forward suddenly and without warning and struck” her son, “severely injuring him.” She claimed that Ball then left the scene.

The youngster suffered foot and back injuries due to the incident, according to the lawsuit.

We have more from around the basketball world:

The Pelicans’ CJ McCollum was chosen for the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award by the Pro Basketball Writers’ Association (Twitter link). The honor is presented annually by the PBWA to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community. McCollum was honored for his extensive community work in and around New Orleans, with a focus on education, social-justice reform and efforts to provide equitable resources and opportunities for youth.
The Australian National Team recently announced a 17-man roster that will take part in the official training camp in late June, before two games against China in Melbourne on July 2 and 4. The roster will then be pared to 12 players for the Paris Olympics. ESPN’s Olgun Uluc breaks down the roster player by player to determine who will make the cut. Josh Giddey, Jock Landale, Josh Green and Dante Exum are among the NBA players Uluc considers locks to make the squad.
Kendrick Nunn is thriving overseas but he has not ruled out an NBA return. Get the details here.