Alex Caruso has already played an important role in winning an NBA championship and his talents are better suited with a contender.
Even after just a few games, unfortunately, it already seems like the dysfunctional Bulls will not afford him that opportunity in Chicago. So for the sake of all parties involved, it might be the best-case scenario for the franchise to trade him to a team where he actually has a chance to win.
For example, he proved his value again while defending Kevin Durant against the Suns on Wednesday. Caruso had a game-high plus-minus (24) in a one-point loss against Phoenix.
Alex Caruso gave Kevin Durant hell last night. Deep dive on how he did it.
Turn sound on to hear why Caruso is a defensive savant. pic.twitter.com/F8hT1IiMr7
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) November 9, 2023
Ricky O’Donnell agreed that it makes more sense for Chicago to cash in on Caruso now, offering the following thoughts (via SB Nation):
“It’s a shame Caruso’s impact is being wasted on a team as hopeless as the Bulls. He deserves to be playing the type of meaningful games late the season that Chicago isn’t good enough to be involved in. If the Bulls ever decide to blow it up, Caruso should be the first player they trade. He’d be a great fit on any contender, and his ability to change the game goes so far beyond his box score numbers.”
Caruso was mentioned as a potential player on the move before the trade deadline last season and the Bulls reportedly coveted multiple first-round picks in return.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago has reported that Caruso remains “constantly sought after” by contenders. His trade value is likely higher right now than ever (which likely makes a deal very difficult for asset-poor teams like the Suns) and a bidding war may be on the horizon.
It is unclear if he could fetch multiple first-rounders in this market but if he were put on the block, the following teams should sprint to put in an offer:
1
Milwaukee Bucks
After trading away Jrue Holiday, opponents have scored at a much higher rate against the Bucks so far this season. Milwaukee currently has the sixth-worst defensive rating in the NBA and the team desperately needs someone who can guard at the point of attack.
Last season, per dunksandthrees.com, Caruso had the highest Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus among all players in the NBA. He also led the league in Defensive RAPTOR, via FiveThirtyEight.
Caruso would help solve many of the problems caused by the absence of Holiday, although Milwaukee likely does not have the draft capital to make an agreeable deal. But perhaps there are promising young players like Marjon Beauchamp or Andre Jackson Jr. who could intrigue Chicago.
2
Philadelphia 76ers
Although there are rumors of the 76ers trying to target a different player on the Bulls, as noted by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Caruso “could make the most sense” for Philadelphia instead.
Caruso paired with De’Anthony Melton would be nightmarish for Philly’s opponents in the backcourt. More importantly, he would not take away much of an offensive usage load from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Following the return they got for James Harden, the 76ers may actually have enough to offer in terms of matching salary and future picks.
3
Denver Nuggets
The defending champion Nuggets are already off to an outstanding start to the season but one area of concern, if there is one, is defensive playmaking. Denver’s defense has forced turnovers on just 13.2 percent of possessions, via Cleaning the Glass, which ranks fifth-worst in the NBA.
Caruso, for the second year in a row, currently ranks above the 90th percentile among players at his position in both block percentage and steal percentage.
He could play a versatile, defensive-oriented role similar to what Bruce Brown played during Denver’s championship run. A reunion with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be a lot of fun and the Nuggets do actually have more picks to offer than many other contenders.
4
L.A. Clippers
The Clippers have had three games go into clutch time, defined when the score is within five points within five minutes remaining, in 2023-24. They have lost all three games. Meanwhile, per Inpredictable.com, Caruso ranks third-best among all NBA players in Clutch Win Probability Added.
He is additionally very skilled with his ball screen navigation, his off-ball chaser defense and his perimeter isolation defense. Those are three areas where he excels as one of the best in the game, via BBall-Index.
This isn’t a team that is loaded with draft assets, though, so a deal is unlikely unless Chicago’s front office happens to really value Terance Mann or young players such as Kobe Brown, Bones Hyland and B.J. Boston.
5
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are playing very well to begin the season but Caruso would provide a bolster to some of their potential shortcomings that could show up down the road.
For example, Caruso currently leads the NBA in deflections (33) and ranked among the top five both last season and the season prior. After finishing with the second-fewest deflections in 2022-23, meanwhile, the Mavericks are once again near the bottom of the league in deflections per game.
Dallas isn’t exactly rich with assets to put on the table for Chicago but Caruso is still worth the call to see if the Bulls might find something suitable.
6
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were one of the teams linked to have interest in Caruso when his name was dangled in trade rumors last season. Lip-readers even believe they caught Warriors head coach Steve Kerr telling Caruso “I’d love to have you, man!” after a game.
Golden State probably wouldn’t rush to offer Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, but even imagining a defense quarterbacked by Draymond Green and Caruso is super fun.
7
Los Angeles Lakers
We are already hearing whispers about the Lakers wanting a reunion with Caruso. But after the Los Angeles front office reportedly botched contract negotiations with him when he was a free agent, this might make a bit more sense in theory than in practice.
It is easy to imagine a team outbidding what the Lakers can offer unless this turned into a bigger deal involving some combination of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent once they are eligible to become traded.
