The Oklahoma City Thunder have finally won an NBA championship, and it's thanks in large part to what an elite defensive team general manager Sam Presti has built around MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This past offseason, the Thunder put the finishing touches on what was already a top-seeded team in the Western Conference, bringing in both Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to elevate the team even further.

Acquiring Caruso came at a huge cost, however. The Thunder had to trade Josh Giddey away to the Chicago Bulls; while Giddey struggled during the 2023-24 season and found himself getting marginalized on offense especially during the 2024 NBA playoffs, he was a former sixth overall pick who was meant to be a key part of the next great Thunder squad.

Alas, winning a championship requires plenty of sacrifices, and Giddey ended up being the figurative sacrificial lamb for the Thunder. Nevertheless, Giddey spent the first three seasons of his career with OKC and grew both as a person and a player alongside the team's championship core. Thus, it's no surprise to see him be elated that his former teammates got the job done in the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers.

“congrats to the guys 🤍🤍🤍,” Giddey wrote as the caption to his Instagram story, via NBA Retweet on X.

In the end, Giddey simply did not fit the roster-building vision that Presti had for the Thunder. Suffice to say, bringing in Caruso worked big time. Even though OKC already had stout defenders such as Lu Dort and Cason Wallace on the roster, adding in Caruso, someone with championship experience and veteran knowhow, certainly played a huge part in transforming this OKC team and getting them over the hump.

Article Continues Below
More Thunder News
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) celebrates after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center.
Thunder’s Chet Holmgren grabs attention with IG post after NBA FinalsRichard Pereira ·
Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts during the third quarter of game five of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center
Thunder’s Jalen Williams will ‘stick to Shirley Temples’ after NBA Championship winMalik Brown ·
Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8), forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talk to the media after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center
Thunder’s Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren in line for $247 million contract extensionsJosue Pavon ·
Nikola Topic is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center.
Thunder player who made history by winning title before even playing a gameJosh Davis ·
Thunder-Pacers Game 7 hit viewership mark not seen in 6 years
Thunder-Pacers Game 7 hit viewership mark not seen in 6 yearsChris Spiering ·
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts after a play against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
Thunder’s Jalen Williams gets philosophical while reflecting on title runZachary Weinberger ·

Meanwhile, Giddey began flourishing with the Bulls towards the end of this past season, and he'll get every opportunity to blossom into the star many still believe he can be in the Windy City.

Thunder are one step ahead of the competition

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) dribbles down the court against Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the second quarter at Paycom Center.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Hanging on to Giddey would have been a huge mistake for the Thunder, so kudos goes to them for not letting sentimentality get in the way of building a championship team. Without Giddey, OKC was able to give the ball more to Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams all while surrounding them with lower-usage, 3-and-D players that fit alongside them like hand and glove.

Giddey was also going to be up for a huge contract extension, and Presti decided not to go that route, instead choosing to pay Caruso. Suffice to say, these are the decisions that keep the Thunder one step ahead of the competition, positioning them very well to compete for multiple titles, barring any unforeseen turn of events.