After being selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, expectations have always been high for Josh Giddey. He looked like he was meeting them early on, starting every game for the Thunder through his first two years. He showed a ton of promise as a point guard with great positional size and passing.
Giddey's weaknesses were on full display in his third season, however, as teams began ignoring him on the perimeter and stationing centers to guard him. It became such a problem that the Thunder finally removed him from the starting lineup in their playoff series against the Mavericks, limiting him to just 12.6 minutes per game.
Giddey isn't a bad player, but the fit doesn't work at all in Oklahoma City. He needs the ball in his hands to be at his most effective, and the Thunder have much better drivers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to do that instead. He has looked better in international play when he's been in full control of a team's offense.
Giddey is at an important inflection point in his career. He is extension-eligible and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025 if he and the Thunder can't come to an agreement on a deal. The writing is on the wall that the team may look to shop him, both for his own benefit and theirs. Here's where he could end up.
MORE: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey don't fit together
Josh Giddey trade destinations
Spurs
The Spurs need an upgrade at point guard. They don't have the plus passing to fully utilize Victor Wembanyama and the rest of their young roster.
Giddey would be a great fit for San Antonio. He could control the ball and set up the Spurs' better scoring options, which would also vastly aid in the development of their whole roster. Giddey is a good cutter and has terrific court vision, which would play well into the style of offense that Gregg Popovich likes to run.
The Spurs are in a good spot where they have an estimated $21.3 million in cap space, per Spotrac. They could take on Giddey's deal without giving a player back, offering them a very low-risk opportunity at a one-year Giddey experiment. They also have a ton of future first-rounders coming in from trading Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan, so using a top-14 protected pick on a still-young prospect is no big deal for them.
The Thunder are also projected to have $35.3 million in cap space this summer. This would open up another $7 million for them to sign an impact free agent, and it would add a pick that they could use in a potential trade.
There should be pressure building for the Thunder to start actively competing for a title. This gets them much closer to their goal, opening up windows to get a player better than Giddey.
76ers
The 76ers are another team with a ton of cap space. Like the Spurs, they have a center in Joel Embiid who could clean up Giddey's below-average perimeter defense. And they have two elite scoring options in Embiid and Tyrese Maxey who Giddey could set up well.
Daryl Morey has a history of going for talent above all else. This would be a classic move to get him a player whose value is at its lowest.
The Sixers have up to five first-round picks to trade after the draft. They could trade the No. 16 pick in this upcoming draft after they select, which would leave them plenty to make a bigger move down the line. Even with Giddey, they could still retain over $50 million in cap space to sign a premier free agent like Paul George if he becomes available.
The Thunder benefit from this trade in the same way that they would in a Spurs deal — they open up cap space to sign someone else and get another young prospect to add to the team or move for a more established veteran.
MORE: Sixers offseason guide, draft picks available, trade targets
Jazz
The Jazz are still in talent acquisition mode of their current rebuild. They don't have very good guard prospects on their roster. Kris Dunn was a nice reclamation story, but he's already 30 years old without much upside other than a high-level backup on a good team. Keyonte George had his moments as a rookie but is more of a scoring guard than a true point guard.
Giddey would give the team its best point guard prospect and also help Utah's young core fit into their roles better. A Giddey-Lauri Markkanen pick-and-roll would be extremely tough to stop. And coach Will Hardy is an offensive genius whose cutting principles would be a natural fit.
A Giddey-for-Walker Kessler trade could give the Thunder the size that they've been lacking behind Chet Holmgren. The talented big man is one of the best rim protectors in the league but only plays 23 minutes per game for the Jazz. This would also clear up $5 million more for Oklahoma City to use in free agency.
The Thunder would need to send out some sort of draft compensation to balance this trade out. The Heat's lottery-protected pick in 2025 would be enough to get a deal through.