New Chicago Bulls G Josh Giddey gets fresh start after trade from Oklahoma City
CHICAGO (CBS) – Josh Giddey is getting a fresh start in Chicago after the Bulls traded for the 6-foot-8 guard, giving up Alex Caruso to the Thunder.
The 21-year-old Australian struggled in his third year in Oklahoma City as he was not used as the team's primary ballhandler, and wasn't excited about coming off the bench. Giddey has shown flashes in his three seasons in the league, but fell out of favor with the Thunder.
"While you're in the midst of it, it's hard to see the light," Giddey said during a virtual news conference on Tuesday. "But looking back at it now, it probably taught me a lot of lessons that I needed, for a young player in their career, how to adapt to different environments. So I'm very grateful for my time there. I met a lot of great people, learned a lot of valuable lessons on the floor and I think some of them are definitely gonna translate to this team."
He went on to praise the talent on the Bulls squad and said he wants to "immerse myself in it and not take away from anybody, but just help this team continue to grow and get better."
Giddey said on Tuesday that he didn't want to stay in Oklahoma City if he wasn't going to be a starter.
He hasn't been guaranteed any starting role in Chicago, but said he's excited to be more of a facilitator with the Bulls.
"Being able to get guys involved, distribute the ball and get other players confident around me is kind of the thing I pride myself on doing," Giddey said. "You know, for me, that's probably the big thing coming here. I want to be the pass-first point guard that I am and help teammates generate easy looks."
