Alex Caruso is Gaining Interest From Playoff Teams

   Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls hasn’t averaged more than 10 points per game in a season across his 6 year NBA career. In 292 regular-season games, he’s only started 73 times and his career-high was 32 points against the Los Angeles Clippers back when he was still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. And yet, Caruso continues to gain interest from several playoff teams who would benefit from Caruso’s energy, and above average defense.

   According to NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson “Alex Caruso is like constantly sought after by everybody on every playoff team in the history of the NBA,” Johnson said in a recent podcast. “He’s just a plug-and-play player for anybody,” he continued.

   Indeed the 6’4” guard, who’s earned nicknames such as “The Accountant”, “Bald Mamba”, “The Bald Eagle”, and “Carushow”, continues to be a hot commodity amongst teams with championship aspirations. 

   Last season, the Bulls were believed to be on the verge of imploding from within as rumours of the team trying to trade Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan circulated on social media. Many also believed that Alex Caruso would be moved ahead of the February trade deadline but the Bulls opted to keep the former NBA champion. 

   But with Chicago failing to add (or subtract for that matter) much to their roster this offseason, Caruso’s name is once again garnering interest from other NBA clubs.

The Caruso Effect

   One of the reasons why Alex Caruso remains one of the more popular players in the NBA is because of his effectiveness on both sides of the court. He can score when required, but his defense is what makes him invaluable. Over his career, he’s averaging 1.2 steals per game putting him in the upper echelon of that category despite regularly playing under 25 minutes a night.

   Caruso doesn’t have to score 20 points to make him an effective player. And if the Bulls are keen on hitting the reset button, trading Caruso should be amongst their priorities as the 29 year old is already on the third year of a four-year contract he signed back in 2021. For the final season, Caruso is guaranteed three million dollars and the full amount ($9.8 million) will be guaranteed by June 30th, 2024. 

   Put simply, he has a manageable contract and comes with zero ego issues. Other players can perhaps do more but few can affect a game without the ball in his hands like Caruso can. And in a league that continues to move more and more towards “super teams”, having an impact player who doesn’t need touches to get hot is becoming an ever more valuable asset.

   Last season, the Texas A&M product averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals, on 45.5% field goal shooting. The Bulls made the play-in tournament, and beat the Toronto Raptors, before eventually bowing out to the Miami Heat. 

   Incidentally, former Lakers and now Phoenix Suns Coach Frank Vogel is believed to be one of the people eyeing to trade for Caruso- who was recently named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Vogel coached Caruso during the 2019-2020 championship season and even hailed the latter as one of the best players on that team. 

   Other possible landing spots for Caruso that are generating buzz amongst NBA circles are the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors. Golden State Head Coach Steve Kerr told Caruso in December he wanted Caruso to be a part of the US national team that is set to compete in the upcoming FIBA World Cup. Many believe that while Kerr can’t outwardly recruit the Texas native to join the Warriors while he’s under contract with the Bulls, that his “Team USA pitch” was very much a veiled way of expressing his interest in a potential NBA union in the near future.

   While Chicago could very well continue to stand pat with their roster, if things get off to a rocky start, there could be wholesale changes coming to the Windy City prior to Christmas. And if that’s the case, expect GM Marc Eversley’s phone to field multiple calls about Caruso.

-Iggy Gonzales

Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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