Many athletes feel aggrieved when they are traded, but Australian NBA star Josh Giddey couldn’t have been more grateful.
Almost 10 months ago, Giddey was back home preparing for the Paris Olympics when his phone rang at 6am. It was Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti telling him he was being traded to the six-time champion Chicago Bulls in exchange for defensively minded guard Alex Caruso.
Josh Giddey celebrates with his Bulls teammates after hitting a stunning game-winning three-pointer against the Lakers.Credit: Getty Images
The news wasn’t a complete shock as the 22-year-old Melbourne product was coming off a turbulent season where the fast-improving Thunder had leapt into title contention, but his own role, and confidence, had receded.
“Yeah, I mean, I knew it was a possibility, and it wasn’t something I was against when it happened,” Giddey told Nine’s Wide World of Sports in an exclusive interview airing on Sunday.
“And I’m very fortunate that Sam Presti, the [Thunder] general manager, was very transparent through the whole process with me, and we spoke throughout everything. And when the trade happened, I heard it straight from him first. I was in Melbourne, it was 6am, and he called me, and 30 minutes later the trade got broken publicly.”
At the time of the trade, some keen NBA observers suggested the Bulls had made a blunder in trading the proven Caruso, who had a multi-year, franchise-friendly contract, for Giddey who was chasing a large contract extension and still proving himself.
But the trade has proven to be a masterstroke for both teams, with Caruso playing a role in helping the Thunder to a league-best 67-14 record on the eve of the play-offs, while Giddey has become the Bulls’ chief playmaker and starting point guard, forming an impressive partnership with Coby White and rookie big man Matas Buzelis.
“I was very glad he [Presti] got me to a situation that was going to benefit me,” Giddey told Nine, the owner of this masthead.
Giddey drives against Oklahoma City Thunder superstar, and former teammate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Credit: AP
“And they obviously got a great player in return with Caruso. So, a lot of GMs [see it as] a business, and they will send you where they can get the best return.
“And that’s what I’m saying, they got a great return, but he also put me in a position where I could be successful. So, I’m very grateful for him, and it’s not always like that in the NBA world. So he gave me a chance to come here and be successful.”
Late last month Giddey became the talk of the NBA world when he nailed a half-court buzzer-beater to beat LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers in Chicago, while he recently joined James and Denver’s three-time MVP-winning superstar Nikola Jokic as the only players with more than 1000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists this season.
Multiple outlets have reported Giddey is in line to receive a multi-year deal worth around $US30 million per season, while the Bulls are still chasing a place in the play-in games in the eastern conference with a 38-43 record.
The 82-game NBA regular season is due to end later in the week before the play-ins ahead of the real deal – the play-offs.
The Bulls are regenerating their roster and traded veteran high-flyer Zach LaVine to Sacramento mid-season. Since then, Giddey and White have come into their own.
“When the trade happened, Zach got traded and we had different moving parts,” Giddey said.
“I think that opened up opportunity for guys. So there’s been a lot of moving parts to this team and I’ve tried my best to just keep the guys [as] together as possible. And I think not just me, but we’ve really started these last, probably, six weeks to come together as a group, and we’ve started to win games [and] win tough games on the road.
Giddey in action for the Boomers at Paris 2024.Credit: AP
“And this is the time of year that you want to find form and get hot. So, it’s a good time to do it. But not just myself, I think other guys have started to embrace their role and the opportunity they’ve been given, and we’ve started to put it together as a team.”
Former Boomers coach Brian Goorjian made Giddey the centrepiece of his offence for Paris 2024 and Giddey admits he helped him immensely, even though the Boomers suffered a quarter-final loss to Serbia.
“That Olympic tournament probably came at the perfect time,” Giddey said.
“[I was] obviously coming off a year where I was probably down on confidence and I didn’t play like myself for a lot of the season. And that Olympics, being right around the corner, gave me a chance to kind of get that confidence back and get back to who I am as a player. And obviously the Olympics didn’t go the way we wanted as a team, but, individually, I think that just stemmed confidence within me going into the next NBA season.”
Watch the full exclusive interview (this Sunday) on Wide World of Sports on Channel 9 and 9Now
