In June, Oklahoma City agreed to trade with Chicago, which sent a 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso.
While many Thunder fans were happy with the trade, several NBA observers pointed out that the former OKC guard could have a solid season in Chicago.
FanDuel SportsBook seems to agree that Giddey has a chance to regain confidence in the Windy City, as the popular betting service gives the young guard the fourth-best odds at +1400 to win the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2025.
Spurs striker Victor WembanyamaThe great man of the Cavaliers Evan Mobley and the warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga precede Giddey in the FanDuel rankings.
Giddey’s top-five ranking by the bookmaker comes after the 21-year-old looked strong at the Olympics, recording several impressive performances to give Bulls fans optimism that the Australian guard could be a valuable addition.
Against Spain, Giddey had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. Giddey fell out of favor in Mark Daigneault rotation during his senior year in Oklahoma City due to his lack of 3-point shooting prowess.
In Paris, however, Giddey looked more confident and aggressive, sinking three-pointers at a decent rate. If the former lottery pick can start hitting three-pointers more consistently, he could become an exceptional playmaker thanks to his combination of size and passing skills.
During his three years with OKC, Giddey played and started 210 games, averaging 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. After being selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Giddey was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2022.
Although he was ultimately benched in the Modern Frontier, Giddey certainly has enough size and skill to be a solid NBA player and could thrive with a change of scenery.
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