It was a busy day for Alex Caruso as he went around the Oklahoma City Thunder to introduce himself on Monday. Or rather, re-introduce himself after being gone for nearly a decade.
The 30-year-old was shipped from the Chicago Bulls for Josh Giddey. The surprising deal bolstered the Thunder’s depth.
The two-time All-Defensive player gives OKC one of the best defensive personnel in the league. He’s a seamless fit for the Thunder as a 3-and-D player who is a low-usage player.
Opposing high-usage scorers will struggle to find weaknesses among the Thunder starters. Caruso and Lu Dort are some of the best POA defenders. Cason Wallace will likely soon join those conversations.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in steals last season. Chet Holmgren was second in blocks and is already one of the best rim protectors in the league.
In Chicago, Caruso has sharpened his outside shot. He had his best season yet last year. He shot nearly 41% from 3 on a little under five attempts. This is even more impressive considering how clunky the Bulls’ offense was.
In a true 5-out offense with some of the best drivers in the league, expect Caruso to get plenty of open catch-and-shoot looks from outside with the Thunder.
The only risk involved is Caruso’s expiring salary of $9.9 million. Even though it’s been reported the Thunder want to keep him for the long run, the chance of him leaving will cloud over OKC until he inks a new deal.
Caruso gave a safe answer when asked about his deal on Monday. He said he’d rather focus on this season before his future.
“That conversation is for another place and time. I know what Oklahoma City as an organization stands for,” Caruso said. “I can obviously tell they’ve done a good job at bringing together a good team. Possibly but I think for now, I’d just like to meet my teammates and get to work.”
Even though fans might be disappointed Caruso didn’t proclaim his desire to stay with the Thunder for several seasons, it’s probably the safe route for him to take heading into the negotiation process.
It’d be counterproductive for Caruso to state he wants to stay. He’ll be eligible for a four-year, $80 million deal in late December. There’s no reason to risk decreasing that amount right now.
Regardless, both parties are ecstatic about the addition — which is a healthy sign. There’s no reason to think the 30-year-old won’t succeed in OKC this upcoming season. Caruso gets a chance to reunite with Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. Both were with the G League’s OKC Blue in 2016.
The 30-year-old has reached out to a couple of his new teammates already. He mentioned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylin Williams. He hopes to get to know the rest of the squad soon.
“(Gilgeous-Alexander) said he was excited to have me,” Caruso said. “Complimented me and obviously I showered him with praise back.”
