The Oklahoma City Thunder shocked the league when they traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso in June 2024. At the time, it looked like a simple player swap. The Thunder gave up a young guard with playmaking potential and added a two-time All-Defensive Team member in Caruso. What no one realized was how quickly that trade would change their locker room dynamic.

Fast forward to 2025, and the Thunder were holding the championship trophy. While superstar players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grab the headlines, the glue that holds a championship roster together is frequently found in the locker room, not the stat sheet. This crucial dynamic was recently highlighted by the 3x NBA Champion veteran Udonis Haslem, who spent three seasons playing under Riley.

Speaking on the ‘Th

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