CHICAGO — When the Chicago Bulls dealt Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, many fans scratched their heads.

It was no secret that Bulls vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas was going to make some changes, but Caruso seemed like he’d made a new home in Chicago, a town that appreciates players who put their bodies on the line on a nightly basis.

Caruso wasn’t just a fan favorite, but a two-time, All-Defensive Team player and a glue piece in the locker room. He was the 2023-24 winner of the NBA Hustle Award, which honors players whose contributions can’t always be seen in a box score — deflections, loose balls and charges among them.

And with his adaptability and basketball IQ, Caruso easily could have fit into the new offensive scheme coach Billy Donovan was planning to employ and was also quite affordable at $10 million in the final year of his four-year, $37 million deal.

But Karnišovas, who stood pat at the last three trade deadlines, made his first deal for a player since August 2021, sending Caruso to the Thunder for 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey. Caruso loved Chicago but understood the rationale.

“That’s part of the business,” he said on opening night at the United Center in October. “When we don’t win, stuff has to change.”

But did it have to be Caruso?

Dealing popular athletes before their big payday has been a recurring theme of Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s two professional teams — the Bulls and the White Sox — and particularly so in 2024. Like Sox ace Garrett Crochet, Caruso was dealt before Reinsdorf had to reach deep into his pockets for an extension.

Nothing personal. “Organizations win championships” wasn’t just a throwaway line by late general manager Jerry Krause. Reinsdorf’s teams typically operate as though the front office does the dirty work and the stars are interchangeable.

Caruso’s defense has helped make a young and tough Thunder team even more dominant. With a 23-5 record, the best in the Western Conference and second overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, a league-best defense and a brilliant coach in Mark Daigneault, the Thunder could be favorites to win their first NBA title in Oklahoma, and second in franchise history after the Seattle SuperSonics’ 1979 crown.

As a reward for his contributions, Caruso last week was given a four-year, $81 million contract extension. Not bad for an undrafted player with a career average of 6.8 points per game. The Thunder used their Bird rights, which allows teams to go over the salary cap to sign their own free agents.

The lucrative contract shows how much of a premium some organizations put on defense. The Bulls, who made defense a calling card during the Michael Jordan dynasty, are not one of those organizations.

Coach Bill Donovan entered the 2024-25 season acknowledging there would be defensive “challenges” to overcome, and last month he conceded they still exist.

“There were times last year like, ‘Oh my God, this is bad,’ and Caruso fixes it,” Donovan said. “We don’t have that.”

Monday night’s 112-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center was also one of those times when Bulls fans said: “Oh my God, this is bad.” But there was no Caruso to fix it, as the Bucks hit 41.9 % of their 3s (18 of 43) to the Bulls’ 20.8% (10 of 48).

The loudest moment was the traditional cartoon race on the video board between the donut, bagel and the cup of coffee. Comcast subscribers felt fortunate not to have the Chicago Sports Network, avoiding the ability to witness the carnage.

It might be too early to call the Caruso-Giddey trade one-sided, but it’s obvious the Bulls have lost some intangibles since Caruso’s departure.

Giddey, who sat again Monday with a right ankle sprain, is in the final year of his four-year, $27 million rookie contract with OKC. The Bulls declined to extend him before the October deadline, making Giddey a restricted free agent after the season.

Reports have said he was seeking a deal averaging $30 million, which seems like an overreach considering his defensive liabilities and below-average 3-point shooting. But who knows? The Bulls will be able to match any contract offer, and perhaps someone else sees potential in a 22-year-old still learning.

Donovan said Monday that Giddey was “starting to impact the team in a positive way” before the ankle injury, but still needs to learn to finish. He’s been on the bench at the end of most close games.

“I definitely think without question he can be an important piece to us,” Donovan said. “I love the fact, the way he rebounds the basketball, at his size, (how) he can start the break. I think he’s recognizing now a lot of times with his size when he gets in the lane, his finishing has not been great, and there have been opportunities for him to spray the ball out …

“But I do think when you’re a guy with his skill set and strength and ability to pass the ball, coming into a new situation entirely, it does take time for players to adjust to him, for him to adjust to players.”

Giddey’s ability to run a faster-paced offense makes him an important part of the Bulls’ attack, and there’s no debating they have to win high-scoring games to win. They averaged 117 points per game, but have been held below 100 points the last two games against the Boston Celtics and Bucks, with Giddey unavailable.

Coby White guessed the Bulls had as many as 35 wide-open 3s on Monday, but they hit only 10, an effort that was difficult to watch. Donovan told them to keep shooting 3s instead of going inside against the Bucks’ rim protectors, and Zach LaVine said the “live and die” by the 3 ethos didn’t work, and they “keeled over.”

White is in one of the worst shooting slumps of his career. He hasn’t lost his confidence but acknowledged his shot isn’t falling. Over his last nine games, he’s shooting 34% and only 28% on his 3-point attempts.

“I get cold, but I don’t ever get cold like this for as many games as it’s been,” he said. “I’ve had two or three or four and then I get back into rhythm. I’m a career 38-39% 3-point shooter, so it will all even back out.”’

The Bulls are 13-17 but looked worse in the last two games. Maybe they’re hitting the wall, or it could be just a blip.

“I know y’all didn’t have us there, 13-17,” White said. “A lot of people didn’t. But we believe in each other. Every guy in the locker room wants to win. There’s going to be ups and downs, but I think we’re in a good spot. We’re building an identity.”

That’s fine, but winning would be preferable.

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