What does the Alex Caruso trade signal for Bulls’ future? | Parkins & Spiegel

What does the Alex Caruso trade signal for Bulls’ future? | Parkins & Spiegel

today what do you make of this trade Joe thanks for the time on a breaking news day I love it if the plan is to make sure that you have that 25 draft pick because that’s what kind of deal this feels like it feels like you’re going to take a step back whether it’s done purposely or it’s done because of finances um and you are going to hope that this young developmental player can cover up the holes that were exposed especially in that Dallas series that that cost him rotation like you said um and if it takes a year to do that and you’re not a very good team and you ensure yourself of that 25 draft pick I’m okay with it if that’s the plan the the details on the 25 Bull you’re talking about the Bulls draft pick the Portland pick that is protected I’m talking about no I’m talking about the San Antonio the top 10 protected that goes to the Spurs um they need to do whatever it takes to make sure they keep that pick so okay you if you are making sure that you are a top 10 team and keeping that pick and then you know shoving it to 26 or 27 where I think it goes to 14 protected then I’m all about it because then you got a young guy who’s still 21 um who you know financially who knows what you could do with him because of of of the way his season ended at OKC um you know I’m guessing it’s going to be Bull’s businesses basketball as usual where they um let him go to the market see what the market sets a price on and then decides decide to match or not um and if that takes it makes you take a step backwards to ensure you keep that 25 draft pick I’m all for it uh you know it’s it’s a gamble um because to me when you keep Alex Caruso you keep a guy around that culturally is all about winning it doesn’t mean that that’s what happened with him there but that’s his mindset uh and so that kind of automatically seems to always push you out of that top 10 so um you know you can’t if this is the direction you’re going you have to have that 25 draft pick that’s how strongly I believe in this class and a lot of other teams believe in this class and sources have told me in the Bulls that as much as they dangled out there there were multiple picks but it was all 24 there was not 125 first round pick offered no matter what the the the uh player that was dangled out there at the trade deadline so people are holding out of those for a reason so the 2025 draft believed to be a lot better than 2024 the Bulls draft pick if they pick between 1 and 10 they get to keep it and own it if it get if it drops down to between 11 and 30 it goes to the San Antonio Spurs so all around the league Ryan uh teams are prioritizing keeping the picks in next year’s draft that means a Tank season for the Chicago Bulls well that explains a little bit more than why you’re getting Giddy and rather than dumping carusa for a bunch of high picks because if Joe you’re telling us that teams aren’t sitting there FL I mean Oklahoma City has a ton of picks and but they’re not floating 25 because everyone is so high on the class that makes more sense to take a high a a somewhat of a risk higher reward player in return for a guy like Caruso correct yeah and if it takes if it takes a year step back right um because don’t know what’s going to happen with Lonzo ball although this kind of tells me that as much as Lonzo is tweeting out and showing his workouts that medically the Bulls kind of know that this is still a big big time long shot um you know he Lonzo ball has a lot of money on the line that he has to make sure you know he can collect fully and also you know he’s going to be a free agent after next season he has to show something to get that next contract so of course he’s going to be overly optimistic about where he is um both sides though ball side the the the bull side I’ve talked to multiple people he has not played five on five live scrimmage with full physicality and that’s still not going to happen till August so this kind of tells me that look we don’t have a playmaker you know Co Kobe white did some amazing things but at the end of the day you still need a playmaking push the ball up the court uh kind of poor man Lonzo ball and that’s what gidy is he’s not the defender Defender Lonzo ball is and he’s obviously not the corner three specialist that Lonzo ball has become but there is still a lot of Promise in what he does high IQ sees the floor really well I think he was a second leading rebounder so positionally he does give you size at at the point guard spot to go and get rebounds and and and do things so there is uh you know I’m not totally just crapping on the on the on Josh giddy just on the surface if you’re looking at his bull fan and saying what did we get from this trade well what you got is a year step back a year to step back and ensure yourself of keeping that 25 draft pick that’s how you have to think about it if you want to be logical in this well you talked about the culture impact of Alex Caruso and I think that’s everyone knows League wide every every GM in the league and coach wants Alex Caruso but then there’s this kind of black cloud Dark Cloud that comes with Josh giddy with the investigation that he’s been cleared of any wrongdoing with the underage girl ET Etc yeah how does that I mean you got a good coaching staff in place a veteran coaching staff and you know Billy Donovan was a part of this of this trade how does that look in terms of what you’re selling you’re talking about taking the step back and the message but you’re also giving up maybe the culture guy in Caruso for a guy that comes with some some baggage in giddy yeah you know I mean look we’re in a forgiving culture especially when the league investigated this so intensely I mean the the league did the team did I mean this was looked at by many mirrors and this was not just you know the oh let’s just you know he said she said they really really looked into this thing to make sure um that especially in you know Oklahoma City people have to understand you know before their games they say a prayer I mean it’s that’s what they do it there’s the prayer and then the national anthem so this is it’s a different culture there so it was looked very closely um and you know I I think that’s kind of you know there might be some people that still hold on to that and stuff but I think you know League wide I I think that’s kind of been you know passed along um you know and like I said this on the surface you just can’t look at it as a an a for a b it’s there’s there’s more going on here and I think they are building the team knowing that there is more going on here and or rebuilding the team and knowing that this is just kind of the first Domino you know I just talked to someone about an hour ago and they’re pretty excited with the LaVine trade market um compared to where they were at the end of the season just because some teams are now starting through back channels to understand that they will not be involved in the free the the coveted free agents whether it’s Klay Thompson or Paul George and the and the writings on the wall for a couple of these organizations that those guys aren’t going to go there so the only way they can get a two-time Allstar there is through a trade and so Zack lavine’s value um on the trade market might be a little better which to me was was almost zero than expected that doesn’t mean expect anything you’re still getting pennies back right for a dime but that’s okay like I said this is done with intent they feel pretty good about what they can get at 11 in in next week in the draft and they feel really good about making sure they hold on to that 25 draft pick and seeing where they fall once the lottery hits there’s more specifics to talk about with Joe Calli from the Sun Times you’re listening to Parkin and Spiegel on the score but let’s zoom out and expound on what you just said um they’ve turned down the opportunity to unload Zach or Vu or Demar at multiple trade deadlines and now from multiple off seasons and it has been enraging to watch them try and squeeze their into the playoffs and get themselves a round or two perhaps um they have failed two years in a row they tried clearly to make the playoffs and failed two years in a row but now they’re done and this is the pivot th this appears to be the big pivot that a lot of us have been expecting or demanding at during those deadlines and off Seasons this appears to be the pivot finally yeah and the problem is their their assets have all dropped in value now so if they would have done it when their assets were at the highest value or before they reinvested in those assets um they would have been in a lot better position to make this pivot um where you’re not having to take steps back because you you unloaded your 25 draft pick or you’re not having this big boulder of the Zack LaVine Max contract if you would have realized you know one dimensional two guard doesn’t work and maxing that guy doesn’t work so let’s trade him at as high value after after the Team USA after he came back from that and before he went into the max contract year so um yeah that’s the frustration that I think the media and the fan base has is it’s always been too late on every one of these players um I will say the the Caruso won you know they they could have gotten first and second round picks for the 24 draft class um if they would have traded Caruso at the deadline that’s not what they wanted and that’s what a lot of teams are willing to give up for reason because the 24 draft class is full of landmines and you could hit at 15 or 18 and that might be the best player in the draft class and that’s why it’s a frustrating class because you have to look at a lot of Euro tape and you have to look at a lot of college one andd of guys that were over coached and in over Coach systems and you have to hope you hit on a guy so you know number one to me number one is no different than 18 so a bunch of teams throwing that around for Alex Caruso at the trade deadline I get why they held off on that one uh it just doesn’t make sense so but yes they they’ve they’ve held on to way too many players for way too long and watch their value all come crashing down what does this trade say about the future of Demar de rozan with the bulls I know there’s been both sides have said like we love each other and we see we see a fit but you know does Demar at this point in his career want to uh play for a team that’s taking a step back I think it definitely reconfigures his Minds that because if you look at the way he would talk about Alex Caruso the last month of the Season smartest player I’ve ever played with uh biggest heart I’ve ever played with and you’re 35 years old and that’s now been taken from you um you really have to rethink do I want to come back there to play babysitter am I going back there for the payday of playing babysitter or do I want to now try while I’m still playing a very high level and in great shape and led the league in minutes um do I now want to go for a ring the very thing that I always stayed away from chasing and had problems with guys that were chasing it and guys that that took loyalty and threw it out the window do I now follow suit um and and I wouldn’t blame him one bit I mean when you change the pieces on the chess board you can’t expect him to sit back down and and and and play that same game you you know I I I mean it’s it’s different now and so I definitely think this will have him rethink his mindset and the idea of yeah I’d be willing to do this deal a two-year with an option um or do I want to go and and actually try doing something bigger for my legacy man he’s been so honorable every step of the way he is isn’t he he really is he really is he’s impressive he’s honorable and he has been willing to be that that that o G and age gracefully for a decent team and get his points you know and Pad the career stats but also be trying to win and take sorry and take Patrick Williams over on his shoulders on back and take him to laain with I mean not just him I mean you know going to going down to Illinois to watch IO get his jersey and and and the way he’s dealt with IO and Kobe and having all those guys come out to Los Angeles and train with him and go through his hell week dalen Terry you know he used to joke around say that’s his stepson and um you know I I I mean it’s I I haven’t been around a true and you said it best OG vet that actually cares about the the players he’s leaving behind and passing the torch gracefully and not doing it out of jealousy and look the bottom line is last shot he still feels like he’s the Cat that should have that and the numbers say he’s the Cat that should have that but he tried he tried giving it to Zach two years ago yeah it just wasn’t working it’s not Zach’s DNA and and you saw him at the end of the year giving it to Kobe and letting Kobe be that finisher so he wants guys to succeed even if it costs him end of the game heroics because he’s not about that but when he feels like he has to do it or that guy doesn’t wanted he’s G to take it so um yeah I haven’t been around you know this would be year 13 or 14 I have not been around a guy on a daily basis like that and I would probably have to say even going back to White Sox days a locker room guy maybe Jim Tomy is a guy that actually really cared about everyone else’s success and helping guys and talking to guys about things I mean shoot my first year Albert Bell was hiding his note cards on all the players in his locker and if anyone went near it including his teammates he’d break their hands so um you know I mean dudes are really self they say that they’re not selfish but a lot of athletes are really selfish as far as sharing um knowledge and and actually wanting guys to succeed and Demar he’s he’s he’s something man I I I love that I love the cross sport comp of course because it’s the same kind of character we’re talking about now I find myself hoping if for Demar to like sit down look at the options find that team that needs him as their third scorer or sixth man if he’s willing and my goodness that that dude would be an unbelievable fit for a lot of a lot of contenders um Joe so so how far is this going to go go you think you think this means a match for Patrick Williams eventually like if there is a Zack trade and there is a Demar exit which all seems entirely possible what are the other what are the other pieces that would make sense to stay I think the most sure thing right now is Patrick Williams I I don’t think they want to give up on him yet I think they saw enough from him last year and also you have the Spectre of what Kobe white did and that you know when when everyone was about to kind of give up on him and they said no let’s you know we know he’s a worker you know Patrick Williams is a worker um and he wants to succeed I just don’t he’s not he’s he’s not wired like Kobe white but they’re both workers they’re both first guy in last guy out type mentality he doesn’t have the aggressiveness during game that that Kobe white does so I’m not saying they’re the same guy until you follow that same path but what I’m saying is that was uris’s first draft pick and there would have to be something financially that would really make them go Haywire to say no we’re this team we did not expect the market to be set on on P will at this price and we’re not going to match it I think they’re going to match almost everything because they don’t want to give up on this cat yet and they feel like he showed enough in the first half as far as defensively and his continued three-point shooting where he is a threat and a and a player that you keep a key piece you keep on the roster he’s not a core player but he’s very nice supplemental piece that you have to keep and ride out to see if he does physically mature and mentally mature so I think he’s the for sure one that like I said unless some team comes from nowhere which I don’t foresee because of his injury history I think he’s the for sure they got they’re going to ride with him and and on one more contract and see what he can give them hey man we just watched the Celtics win a title with what seven of their top eight are legit two-way players you know it’s like like real like genuine genuine dudes who can do everything all right last thing for you um Billy Donovan’s willingness and appetite for what might be one year or two years down if that’s what they do um you know because he has such a relationship with the front office and has a say in Personnel I think he’s fine with it if if it’s dudes that he feels like yeah I want to coach that guy and I don’t care if he’s 21 and he took a dip in his career um and he has some baggage you know I want to coach that guy there’s things I like about his game and so um no I think because of because of how they listen to Billy and like they didn’t in OKC where you’re just a coach and just coach um I I think it’s different he didn’t want to do a rebuild with no say I think he’s okay with taking a step back with some say of guys that personally he would like to coach or feels like fit into what he wants to do so I think it’s a different animal when I know people are bringing up the quote from OKC and the idea that the two separated because he didn’t want to be part of a rebuild he didn’t want to be part of that rebuild under those circumstances so it’s a little different Joe thanks for the time man appreciate it um I’m going to choose to look at the positivity of the pivot you know it’s uh again might be ugly might be a little bumpy but it it was time thanks man

On the Parkins & Spiegel Show, Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley broke down the Bulls’ trade of veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Thunder in exchange for young guard Josh Giddey. Are the Bulls trying to make sure they retain their first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft? The Bulls owe the Spurs a first-round pick then, but it’s top 10-protected.

#ChicagoBulls #AlexCaruso #joshgiddey

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