The Oklahoma City Thunder shocked the NBA world by claiming first place in the Western Conference last season. En route to a 57-25 record, their best since the 2013-14 season, the Thunder were led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander And Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault. Ultimately, the team lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. However, it is clear that the Thunder are destined for greatness. And after their offseason trades this summer, the Thunder have likely further solidified their place as a title contender. Most notably, the team traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for defensive ace Alex CarusoWhile Caruso was a great acquisition for the Thunder, some members of the organization were upset about Giddey’s departure. Most notably, the Thunder’s big man Chet Holmgren recently said he was “hurt” after the trade.
In a recent interview on Paul GeorgeThe podcast of, Podcast P with Paul George (YouTube link), Holmgren reflected on trade.
“Dude, I was [expletive] I was hurt when I saw that Josh Giddey was no longer going to be a part of our team. We’re all very proud of him, he’s our dog, he always is. He’s going to do great things in Chicago, so we’re excited for him. We’re also excited to have [Alex Caruso] He’s also part of our team now. Like you said, he’s a great defender, he makes shots, he always makes winning plays, he makes the right plays, [and] he’s the kind of guy you want to play with.
Chet Holmgren ‘hurt’ after shocking off-season trade
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder Traded Josh Giddey
Giddey spent the first three seasons of his career in Oklahoma City. What made the Australian native stand out on the court was his versatility and ability to play any position from guard to forward. Additionally, at such a young age, Giddey was primed to be a part of the team’s long-term future. However, as time went on, Giddey’s role became smaller and he eventually fell out of favor in the rotation.
Additionally, his poor playoff performance last season didn’t help his cause. In 10 total games, Giddey averaged 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 18.1 minutes. Additionally, his defense looked poor, and he was moved to the bench midway through the Thunder’s series against the Mavericks. Thunder general manager Sam Presti later revealed that the team wanted him on the bench for next season as well. However, Giddey was replaced by Thunder head coach Sam Presti’s replacement. apparently rejected the ideawhich makes the exchange obvious to both parties.
“So when we began our internal discussions this summer, it was decided that bringing Josh on the bench next season was our best option to maximise his many talents and deploy our team more effectively over 48 minutes. As we explained to Josh how he could build on his strengths and ultimately optimise our current roster and talent, he struggled to imagine, and conversations turned to him inquiring about potential opportunities elsewhere.”
“Josh has All-Star potential, but getting there in the current Thunder structure would not be optimal for the team. Based on those discussions, we decided to move forward and prioritize what was best for the organization.”
