Josh Giddey writes heartfelt goodbye to Thunder after trade to Bulls

Josh Giddey writes heartfelt goodbye to Thunder after trade to Bulls.

Sometimes the right decisions can be the most difficult ones. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Josh Giddey can attest to that.

Both parties came to a clean divorce on Thursday when the Thunder shipped Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso in a rare player-for-player swap.

The 21-year-old yearned for a fresh start after he refused to agree to come off the bench next season. Giddey instead gets a chance to return to a primary ball-handler role after struggling to fit in an off-ball role in OKC this past season.

Meanwhile, the Thunder find a cleaner fit with Caruso. The 30-year-old is one of the best 3-and-D players in the league. He’s had back-to-back seasons of All-Defensive honors.

Even though it was the best move for Giddey’s career, emotions were likely raw. He’s been open about his fondness for OKC and has called it a home away from home. He was on the verge of tears in his exit interview and claimed he wanted to be with the Thunder for the long-term future.

After the trade became official, Giddey wrote a heartfelt goodbye letter to the Thunder. He posted a lengthy message on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8fxLH9Rerx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The comments were filled with Giddey’s former teammates reciprocating the emotional farewell. It’s fair to say they will be massive supporters of the 21-year-old as he starts his stint in Chicago.

This is part of the business in the NBA. Giddey was drafted to OKC with the vision of being a long-term backcourt starter. Instead, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren knocked him down the totem pole.

Giddey tried to make his off-ball role work, but he needed the ball in his hands to reach his potential, which wasn’t going to happen in OKC.

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