Chet Holmgren admits to being heartbroken after Josh Giddey's trade for Alex Caruso: "I was f**king hurt"
The OKC Thunder bolstered their roster this offseason by trading Australian guard Josh Giddey for the highly sought-after role player Alex Caruso. However, Chet Holmgren said the trade left him heartbroken. Giddey was sent to the Chicago Bulls in a player-for-player swap, which brought the 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive Second Team member to the Thunder.
The Thunder's young core, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and previously Giddey, had seemingly developed a close bond that went beyond basketball. This connection made Giddey’s trade particularly painful for Chet Holmgren.
On an episode of "Podcast P" with Paul George, Chet Holmgren shared his feelings about Giddey’s departure.
"Man, I was—I was f**king hurt when I saw that Gid (Josh Giddey) isn’t gonna be on our team anymore,” he said. “You know, we all rocked with him. That's our dog. Still is, you know.”
However, the Rookie of the Year runner-up expressed excitement for Giddey’s future in Chicago.
“He's gonna go do great things in Chicago, so we're excited for him,” Holmgren said.
Giddey was once considered a key part of the Thunder’s future. However, as the team evolved into a playoff contender focused on SGA having the ball, Giddey struggled to adapt to off-ball roles, and his 3-point shot wasn’t consistent. This reportedly led to his eventual removal from the starting lineup during the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks and his subsequent trade.
OKC general manager Sam Presti discussed the trade, explaining that while he believed Giddey could thrive in a bench role, both sides ultimately wanted what was best.
"As we laid out to Josh how he could lean into his strengths and ultimately optimize our current roster and talent, it was hard for him to envision, and conversations turned to him inquiring about potential opportunities elsewhere,” Presti said.
"I know for a fact that if Alex wasn't available, Josh would've come back, and I think he would've done his best. Josh has been nothing but the consummate professional...We just prioritized what was best for us."
Chet Holmgren anticipates Alex Caruso’s impact on the Thunder
Despite being heartbroken over Josh Giddey’s trade, Chet Holmgren is eager to welcome Caruso to OKC, which finished first in the Western Conference last season.
“And you know, we're also excited to have AC (Alex Caruso) on our team now, too,” he said.
Caruso had previously played for OKC coach Mark Daigneault with the team’s G-League affiliate, the Blue.
“He is a great defender. You know, he makes shots, he—you know, he always makes winning plays, makes the right plays,” Holmgren said.
“And you know, that's the type of dude you wanna play with, you know, like the dude’s gonna go out there and—you know, like everything he does is in the right spirit of what you're trying to do as a team. And you know, it's gonna be fun to play with him."
In addition to acquiring Caruso, the Thunder also added Isaiah Hartenstein, a move that addresses their frontcourt depth concerns.