Shocking Chicago-OKC trade has multiple ripple effects for Spurs

Wow! So, that's all it took? The Chicago Bulls have been playing hard to get with Alex Caruso for a while now. He's been one of the most sought-after role players in the league for the intensity and intangibles he brings to the basketball court. Just recently, a report surfaced stating that the Bulls declined a top-10 draft pick in exchange for the feisty shooting guard's services. To turn around and accept a deal like this boggles the mind.

The Spurs need a veteran guard at some point

Alex Caruso would have been a perfect addition to a Spurs team that entered last season as the youngest team in the league. The veteran experience would have been invaluable, and eventually, the Spurs will likely address it, but it's hard not to feel like San Antonio wasn't aggressive enough here. Sometimes you want to prevent your opponent from making a great move just as much as you want to significantly improve your roster. Killing two birds with one stone was on the table here.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to show how savvy they are as a front office. They are the only team with more first-round draft picks over the next seven years than San Antonio, and they ended this regular season as the number one seed and the second-youngest team in the NBA. It is going to be a lot to contend with for the next 10–15 years.

Meanwhile, the Bulls remain a mystery. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Chicago felt they needed a young playmaker and view Josh Giddey as that player. But Giddey had a horrible season. On a team that felt like just about every player improved from the previous season, he was the only one who seemed to take a step back. Not to mention, he is a terrible three-point shooter, holding a 31% average throughout his young career.

If their plan is still to resign DeMar DeRozan, the space for their offense will suffer immensely. DeRozan ended his most recent campaign shooting 33% from distance.

DeRozan is still good enough to help that team stay above the bottom of the barrel, so granted they get a deal done, the Spurs should still be in position to collect their 2025 top-10-protected first-round pick. But on the downside, they empowered San Antonio's biggest rival, and that's not a good look.