Josh Giddey is proving the Thunder dead wrong with his latest improvement
At this point, there should be zero second-guessing when it comes to the trade that sent Josh Giddey from the OKC Thunder to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso last summer.
After all, the veteran wing played an integral role in their 2025 NBA Championship run and is establishing himself as a key figure in their undefeated 6-0 start to the 2025-26 campaign.
That said, since his departure from the Sooner State, Giddey has been on an absolute tear, as he wrapped up his debut campaign with the Bulls by dropping career-best averages of 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Now, while even after putting forth such efforts it was believed that the Thunder still came away from the deal on top what with the Bulls shelling out a lucrative $100 million deal in his direction, through these early stages of the new season there's a case to be made that Sam Presti and company may be suffering from their most severe case of the "what could have beens."
Thunder proven wrong about Josh Giddey's shooting abilities
To be fair to the organization, there was never any doubt about the overall talent that Giddey possesses as a player. After all, the man boasts a pure floor general's style of play while measuring in with a traditional wing's build at 6-foot-7.
Such a combination is seemingly every team's dream in this position-less era of the NBA.
The only real issue Oklahoma City ever had with the point guard's game was his seeming inability to consistently shoot the ball, particularly from beyond the arc and in catch-and-shoot sets.
Throughout his tenure with the Thunder, Giddey shot a rather pedestrian 31.0 percent from deep and just 34.4 percent in catch-and-shoot scenarios.
It was because of this that the Aussie was deemed an ill-fitting talent alongside the kick-out, drive-oriented trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.
However, fast forward to 2025-26, and it appears that this once nonexistent skill set is something that's leading the charge to yet another career-best year for Giddey.
Not only is he posting sensational averages of 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists for the 5-0 Bulls, but he's also splashing home on 45.5 percent of his shots from deep, a mark that skyrockets to a whopping 63.6 percent when off the catch
Clearly, something has been fixed both with Giddey's shooting stroke and overall approach to the scoring aspect of the game since his move to the Windy City.
Though this still shouldn't make the Thunder regret their decision to move on from the 23-year-old, it does have both the franchise and fanbase questioning where this production was during his three-year stint in the Sooner State.
Dolphins considering drastic Tua Tagovailoa move
Tua Tagovailoa's future as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback may be on shaky ground.
Through nine starts, Tagovailoa is 2-7 and has posted a below-average 43.6 QBR. If his play doesn't improve soon, the team may make a drastic move.
Dolphins are reportedly considering benching Tua Tagovailoa
In a story published Sunday, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the Dolphins could bench Tagovailoa in favor of Zach Wilson or rookie Quinn Ewers later this season.
Rapoport added, "Tagovailoa's play would really have to fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers." However, the QB may be nearing that point. In his past four games, the 2020 first-round pick has tossed seven of his 11 interceptions.
Wilson and Ewers have both filled in for Tagovailoa during blowout losses this season. Former New York Jets flop Wilson completed 5-of-8 passes for 32 yards in a 33-8 Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Ewers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, finished 5-of-8 passing for 53 yards in a 31-6 Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
What would happen if the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa?
The Dolphins' benching of Tagovailoa would signal they want to move on from the QB, but that would be challenging. In July 2024,
According to Rapoport, Miami would incur an NFL-record $99.2M cap hit if it released him this offseason. The Dolphins could designate him as a post-June 1 cut to spread the amount out over the next two seasons ($67.4M in 2026 and $31.8M in 2027). The Denver Broncos did the same in March 2024, after taking an $85M cap hit
To avoid these expenses, the Dolphins could consider trading Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation. A pre-June 1 trade would leave $45.2M in dead money against Miami's salary cap.
But a declining and injury-prone Tagovailoa shouldn't attract many suitors. The sixth-year veteran has had four documented concussions in his NFL career.
The Dolphins should hope Tagovailoa gets his act together.
