The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a big trade on Thursday evening. They sent third-year guard Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. As a result, OKC received some intriguing 2025 NBA Finals odds for their depth-boosting move.
At +900, the Thunder are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the fourth-best odds to win the 2025 NBA Finals, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Before the Alex Caruso-Josh Giddey trade, they were slated at +950 as the fifth-best favorites to win.
The new lineup of teams' odds is as follows: Boston Celtics (+300), Denver Nuggets (+750), Minnesota Timberwolves (+850), Bucks (+900), Thunder (+900), and Dallas Mavericks (+1000). Oklahoma City's trade bumped the Mavericks' odds down by a score of 50.
Will Alex Caruso truly boost the OKC's chances of winning a title? The former All-Defensive guard had a stout year of production with the Bulls during the 2023-24 season. Caruso played a career-high 71 games and held averages of 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. In addition, he shot 40.8 percent on three-pointers.
Caruso's high IQ, defensive leadership, and reliable scoring will add a significant boost to the Thunder. Although, one concern is his coexistence with Luguentz Dort. Dort and Caruso are both defensive-minded guards, so OKC may have some redundancy in their lineup. Yet, this will be less of an issue if the Thunder simply bring Caruso off the bench.
The team is gaining a veteran upgrade in Caruso, but they are losing playmaking and continuity with Josh Giddey.
Giddey averaged 12.3 points and 4.8 assists per game during the regular season. He should fit well with the Bulls, considering the absence of Lonzo Ball. The primary concern with Giddey is lackluster defensive play. But surely, Chicago has a plan to help him fit well.
Can Thunder overcome hump, win 205 NBA Finals?
Oklahoma City had an incredible year. They finished the season with a 57-25 record, which earned them the first seed in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Thunder were led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who looks to maintain his stellar two-way production.
With Giddey out of the lineup, Gilgeous-Alexander could see more time with the ball in his hands. It remains to be seen if this will be a positive or negative. Nevertheless, one of the Thunder's biggest advantages is their youth.
As time progresses, they should only improve. Having someone like Alex Caruso on the team will only accelerate their already-rapid development. Gilgeous-Alexander and company will enter the 2024-25 season with a hunger for success after their 2024 Western Conference Semifinals defeat to the Mavs. Gilgeous-Alexander recalled the moment OKC lost the series after his end-of-game foul.
“I shouldn't have fouled him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “We talk about it all year, the little things that go into winning games, being disciplined. It sucks, obviously, if I had the moment back I wouldn't have fouled him and just let him make or miss the shot.”
The young Thunder team is ready to take the next step and win on the highest stage. Will their Alex Caruso gamble pay off by June of 2025?
Follow Us
Subscribe