Bulls Send Alex Caruso Back to Oklahoma City in an NBA mock trade The Thunder may be able to outbid rivals as the NBA trade deadline draws closer and assist in bringing defensive veteran Alex Caruso back to OKC.
Alex Caruso, a guard for the Chicago Bulls, has long been sought for on the NBA trade market.
The 6-foot-5 guard still provides trademark, tenacious defense along with excellent perimeter shooting and a dash of playmaking that almost every competing team needs, despite an injury-plagued past few seasons.
There will definitely be clubs waiting up to bid for Caruso’s skills since the Bulls might hold a fire sale at the trade deadline. And the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team with a huge asset pool, might be one of them.
Caruso has played basketball in Oklahoma City, but he has never been a member of the Thunder.
Caruso signed with the Thunder before being dismissed in mid-October, having spent the Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers after going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was acquired by the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s D League team at the beginning of November.
In 50 games with the Blue that season, Caruso averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, never quite earning his way onto the Thunder, but still providing his patented defense. He went on to the join the Lakers for the 2017 Summer League, the rest being history, as he was a mainstay on the Lakers 2020 NBA Finals-winning squad.
Sam Presti, the general manager of the Thunder, and his staff have always been meticulous in their pursuit of having well-rounded players and even better people within their organization, even if Presti has never played for the Thunder. And the fact that they valued Caruso’s contributions enough to have him on their developmental team even a few years back is evidence of that.
An intriguing possibility for Caruso to return to OKC is that the Thunder will be able to outbid almost every other team for his talents in addition to that background.
Let’s examine what a hypothetical deal for the Chicago guard may genuinely entail:
Alex Caruso is received by Oklahoma City.
Vasilije Micic, 2026 Rockets FRP, 2027 Nuggets FRP, and 2024 Rockets SRP are sent to Chicago.
Caruso’s current contract, which is only $9.4 million this season and $9.8 million the following, makes it very attractive and tradeable in the NBA market. You get 1.5 seasons of All-Defense caliber production by trading for him at the deadline. and the opportunity to re-sign the 29-year-old for the duration of the contract.
In the Thunder’s instance, guard Vasilije Micic, who is gradually making his way into the lineup, would be available as a player-for-player trade. The Bulls, who had previously expressed interest in Micic, could use a genuine point guard on their team, even with the rise of Coby White.
The two first-round selections, who both have the potential to be excellent players in their respective drafts, are Chicago’s main selling points, though. The picks may be used as leverage in the trade market to help the Bulls reorganize their mediocre squad if they saw no need to hang around.
The 2026 Rockets first is one of the few top-four protected picks, making it extremely valuable. Even if the Nuggets are the current champs, you never know what their squad may resemble in 2027.
In the event that Caruso declines this offer, OKC has the option to boost the ante by adding more draft picks. Alternatively, they may include a more youthful, promising player.
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