Bulls Rejected Shocking Trade Offer in Favor of Josh Giddey

The Chicago Bulls made the unexpected move last week to trade Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey. GM Arturas Karnisovas' decision to trade his most valuable asset without getting any draft capital back was justifiably criticized. Later, it was reported that the Bulls turned down trade offers that included multiple draft picks in order to accept the Giddey package instead.

Now, new reporting further highlights the extent of that mistake. According to Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Bulls rejected an offer from the Sacramento Kings that included the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

"The Kings already tried to use it for a significant roster upgrade. They were close to a trade for defensive ace Alex Caruso last week, according to league sources, offering the No. 13 pick to Chicago as the key chip."

- Anthony Slater & Sam Amick, The Athletic

Perhaps this shouldn't surprise Bulls fans anymore but that is seriously frustrating. We don't know the exact details of Sacramento's offer but one could argue that the 13th-overall pick alone has more trade value than Josh Giddey.

Giddey is a point guard who can't shoot, score, or defend. He makes roster-building around him very challenging since he is an offensive liability when he doesn't have the ball in his hands, and a defensive liability at all times. He is a great playmaker, transition player, and passer, but none of that means much if you are not a scoring threat in the half-court.

Plus, the Bulls need to give a contract extension to Giddey, whose contract is expiring in 2025. Now that Chicago has given up their most valuable trade asset for him, they have lost all leverage in negotiations. They basically have to give the Australian guard whatever he wants in an extension. It is hard to see that being a team-friendly deal, especially considering some of the contracts this front office has given out in recent years to the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine.

Giddey is 21 years old. He can certainly get better. But this is a huge gamble for the Bulls, who needed more upside and draft capital as they look to rebuild instead of giving second chances to failed lottery picks.

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