By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After a promising campaign during the recently concluded 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs, the young and upcoming Oklahoma City Thunder squad already kicked off their off-season moves after acquiring Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls.
In exchange for sealing the deal, the Thunder traded away its point forward, Josh Giddey, to the Bulls, confirmed and finalized on June 22, 2024.
With Caruso now on their official playing roster, the Thunder made it known that they’ll revolve around their defensive capabilities to help them win games and qualify again for the playoffs next season.
Before Caruso’s arrival, Oklahoma already finished second in terms of defensive rating and trailed behind the Orlando Magic.
Known as one of the best defensive guards in the league, Caruso had his second straight All-NBA Defensive Second Team nomination and has helped the Bulls fill their defensive lapses.
Caruso will now be forming a formidable defensive tandem with Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma’s most physical defender on the roster.
Aside from his defensive prowess, Caruso’s improvement on his offensive arsenal also spiked in the most perfect time and is averaging a career-high in points with 10.1 per game built from 40.8 % shooting from the three-point line.
According to multiple reports, Caruso will be paid a guaranteed $3 million of his $9.9-million paycheck next season.
In addition, ESPN’s veteran NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Thunder are planning to secure Caruso to a four-year deal worth approximately $80 million.
Oklahoma finished as the no.1 team in the Western Conference last season and is looking to maintain its stride once the NBA kicks off again later this year.
