Reports: Fans in celebration as Oklahoma City Thumder reunites and brings back former top star in a blockbuster move

From the moment the big guy arrived in Oklahoma City, the Josh Giddey-Chet Holmgren tandem had the potential to become something special. Everyone believed that Giddey’s game would be opened up by the addition of a true stretch big man who was capable of playing in a pick-and-roll situation. The returns were encouraging during the summer league session that took place the previous year, but the harmony did not persist for very long.

After a season that was marked by a lack of consistency in Oklahoma City, Giddey was traded to Chicago. He was only able to play with Holmgren for a single season, and he was unable to develop the chemistry that some people had projected he would have with Holmgren. By the time the season came to a close, Giddey’s difficulties had become much more pronounced, and the Thunder favored having the ball in the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams for reasons that made perfect sense. Although Giddey saw a drop in performance and was subsequently traded, Holmgren continues to have faith in his ability as a basketball player.

On the Road Trippin’ Show, Holmgren expressed his sentiments by saying, “Obviously, it hurts losing Gid.” Everyone on the team was in complete agreement with him. Within his own right, he is an outstanding player. However, he is going to have a tremendously successful career in Chicago as well. Undoubtedly, I am looking forward to the upcoming season. Giddey, who was selected sixth overall, is in desperate need of a new beginning, and the possibility of playing in Chicago could provide him with further opportunities to play freely with the ball in his hands throughout his time there. Throughout the course of the season, a number of players pushed for Giddey, with the goal of instilling confidence and believe in the inexperienced guard. During his three years in Oklahoma City, it was obvious that he has potential; yet, the fit grew a bit off. Because he was guarded by opposition big men, he was forced to play the role of a three-point shooter, which is a position in which he has never previously succeeded.

During the previous season, Giddey went through 80 games with the Thunder and averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, all of which were career lows. He recorded a field goal percentage of 47.5% and a three-point percentage of 33.7%.

Despite the fact that Giddey’s performance in that one season is not representative of his whole body of work as a player, it became increasingly evident throughout the course of the year that the fit was not appropriate. Even after observing Giddey’s abilities on a daily basis, Holmgren continues to be of the opinion that he possesses significant potential as a player. Now that he is in Chicago, he has the opportunity to flourish as a genuine point guard and to take advantage of a new beginning. Many of his former teammates from the Thunder will be cheering him on from a distance.