The Chicago Bulls front office declined a deep trade offer for Alex Caruso for an odd reason
The Chicago Bulls 2024 season was underwhelming. It was clear at the trade deadline that the team didn’t have what it needed to make a deep playoff run. The Bulls had some valuable assets that could have garnered decent returns. One of those assets was Alex Caruso.
There were many rumors surrounding Caruso before the trade deadline. Caruso had been dealing with some minor injuries up to that point in the season. That didn’t quell the interest from other NBA teams.
The Bulls’ rejected trade offer for Caruso may come back to haunt them
A new report from beat writer Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls reveals that the Chicago Bulls axed a significant trade package for Caruso. The trade package included multiple draft picks, including a top ten pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Here is the key excerpt from Gottlieb’s article, which points out the mindset and approach of the Bulls ownership.
The Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple protected first-round picks ahead of the 2024 Trade Deadline. One of those deals included a pick that ended up in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said. The Golden State Warriors were among teams who made a strong offer for Caruso, multiple sources confirmed.
Internally, the Bulls’ party line was that they would have to start searching for a Caruso replacement from the moment they traded him. That may have been fine in a rebuild, which lead executive Arturas Karnisovas admitted ownership supported.
However, the source indicated that there was a mandate from the Reinsdorfs to fight for the Playoffs. That, no doubt, impacted the front office’s decision making when it came to pulling the trigger on any Caruso deal.
Why rejecting the reported trade makes no sense
The Bulls rejected a trade offer that included a top ten draft pick. Alex Caruso is a very valuable player, and a fan favorite. But it would be foolish not to acknowledge that his value isn’t increasing.
Caruso has a perpetual injury risk. According to Fox Sports, Alex Caruso been on an NBA injury report more than 60 times since 2018. This does not mean he has had more than 60 individual injuries. Many of these are major injuries that kept him out of play for extend time periods.
Alex Caruso’s style of play also sets him up to be injured more frequently. His relentless motor and desire to win, which is one of if not his greatest strength, is also one of his biggest weaknesses. Caruso is essential to the identity of the Bulls defense.
Caruso will always give 110% effort. He crashes the boards hard, plays physical defense, often on players larger than him. His style of play and his injury history mean he likely won’t play an entire season.
All of that is to say Caruso’s trade value is only going to decrease as time goes on. His value was quite high at the 2023-24 trade deadline. Caruso was relatively healthy and had played most of the season up to that point. He was also playing well. His defense was as good as ever and he was providing excellent playmaking.
Whether he was a spot starter, or a spark plug off the bench, his impact was consistent.
Now, Alex Caruso is entering the final year of his contract. Starting July 6, Caruso is eligible to sign a four-year, $78.8 million extension — a significant increase from the $36.9 million contract he will finish out in the 2024-25 season.
Trading Caruso now will likely be a one year rental for whoever acquires him.
Do Bulls fans want to see Caruso go? No, of course not. He’s a fan favorite, fun to watch, and seems like a great man of the court as well. He’s great team player and will make any team he is on better. But he alone cannot solve the Bulls problems.
The Bulls should have traded Caruso when his value was at it’s highest. That could have helped the team fast track another rebuild. Which is surely coming down the pipeline very soon.
More of the same from the Bulls brass
The news provided by Gottlieb shouldn’t be surprising. The Bulls have been treading water for a long time now. The Bulls haven’t truly been competitive since before Derrick Rose injured his knee.
That is largely in part thanks to the Bulls ownership. They owners year after year think the team is good enough to make a deep playoff run. Then the team proceeds to sit on their hands in the offseason and free agency.
A move needed to be made at the deadline to restock some draft capital, which the team is lacking. That didn’t happen. Now the Bulls are in the same spot as always. A decent to good roster, but not good enough for the post-season.
The Bulls likely missed their chance to get a strong trade package for Alex Caruso. And if that is the case, the team may as well extend him instead of letting him go for nothing next offseason.
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