Getty Soon-to-be free agent guard Alex Caruso.
It’s been an interesting offseason for Alex Caruso. He’s set hit free agency soon but was arrested and charged with marijuana possession in Texas back in June. Despite that, the Los Angeles Lakers should be looking at his biggest payday yet this offseason.
Since the arrest, Caruso has remained silent on the matter but it appears he’s indirectly addressed it on Twitter. Recently, he called out people on the site who give opinions on subjects they know nothing about.
My favorite part of Twitter is the part where people give their opinion on a subject they have no knowledge or experience in.. it’s the most entertaining
It’s not entirely clear if he’s calling out people who commented on his marijuana arrest but it’s possibly the case. Former Lakers teammate Josh Hart decided to have some fun and called out Caruso for being on Twitter and not at the gym.
Twitter can be a dangerous place for athletes. We’ve seen big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James land in hot water over how they interact with people on social media. Perhaps Hart is right that Caruso’s time would be better served in the gym than online.
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How Much Will Caruso Get Paid This Offseason?
The Lakers have a litany of free agents this offseason but certainly don’t have interest in bringing back all of them. However, Caruso will be one that they aim to re-sign. He’s become a huge fan favorite and one of the team’s key rotation players. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Caruso should be in for a nice payday but nothing too crazy.
“As an athletic guard who can defend, unrestricted free agent Caruso will have suitors,” Windhorst wrote back in March. “League executives think he could draw interest at the full midlevel exception range, which is $9.5 million next season. (Caruso currently earns $2.7 million.)”
The Lakers would likely pay Caruso $9.5 million a year in a heartbeat but he could get even more money. It’s feasible seeing a team offer him something in the $12 to $15 million. He’s an excellent defender and hit 40.1% off his threes last season. He’s the type of role player every team longs for and that could drive up his price.
Lakers Should Still Have Advantage
Winning a championship is very important for most NBA players and Caruso won one young with the Lakers. It will be difficult. for him to accept going from a title contender to a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers. There’s also the fact that he has a great relationship with LeBron James. The superstar likely would like to keep Caruso in-house.
The fans love him and wouldn’t want to see him go. He could have a bigger role on a younger team but the Lakers have figured out an ideal role for him. He can come in off the bench, play some defense and hit some threes. That’s all he needs to do and Los Angeles will be happy. If he goes to another team for a ton of money and a bigger role, that could add a lot of pressure to the young guard.
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