Getty Alex Caruso #6 of the Chicago Bulls.
Despite their long-rumored stance, the Chicago Bulls could be willing to part with All-Defensive standout Alex Caruso.
But only for the right price, of course.
“Chicago has indicated the Bulls would need multiple first-round picks to even consider parting with Caruso, according to league sources,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer wrote on January 24. “If Chicago even truly considers moving him at all.”
The Bulls’ long-standing stance has been to retain Caruso, who was named to the 41-man pool of players for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
AC named to Team USA’s player pool 🇺🇸
Action Network’s Matt Moore reported that Caruso was the “hardest guard to acquire” ahead of the trade deadline last season.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on December 11 that the Bulls were turning away inquiries from potential suitors about the 2023 First-Team All-Defensive selection, Caruso, who is having another strong campaign.
Caruso, 29, is averaging a career-high 9.9 points on 63.8% true shooting.
He is also averaging 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 42% from beyond the arc on a career-high 4.3 attempts.
Caruso is a former NBA champion and is on a team-friendly four-year, $36.9 million contract. Those things only add to his appeal around the league. As it stands, he is the player viewed as the most appealing potential trade candidate on the team.
Alex Caruso is Bull’s Most Appealing Trade Candidate
“Alex Caruso is the Bull that most teams would want,” Marc Stein said on the “thisleague UNCUT” podcast on November 16. “If the Bulls decided to make Alex Caruso available, the line of teams chasing him would stretch into double digits.”
SHOWTIME CARUSO.
The Bulls’ other veterans all come with significant question marks. That includes Zach LaVine, who is in the second year of a five-year, $215 million contract.
LaVine is the Bulls’ primary focus, with both sides amenable to a trade. However, his trade market has been slow to develop amid concerns over his injury history, contract, and style of play. And there is an increasing possibility that he will remain with the team through the deadline, per Moore on January 21.
DeMar DeRozan could appeal to contenders. But he is 34 years old and needs a new contract.
Nikola Vucevic is in the first year of a three-year, $60 million contract. But that deal was criticized after the Bulls re-signed him.
Surge Could Embolden Bulls
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has been adamant about being patient with this group. That has extended to his continuing efforts to find a trade partner willing to take on LaVine and meet his asking price.
The Bulls are also 16-10 since November 30. They have also gotten themselves back into the thick of the Play-In Tournament race with 37 games remaining in the regular season.
They are now exploring ways to add to this roster before the trade deadline.
“The Bulls continue to make former All-Star swingman Zach LaVine available on the trade market but are not, league sources say, looking to ship out multiple veterans and enter into a full-fledged rebuild,” Stein wrote for The Stein Line on January 8.
“Potentially supporting such notions are the recent whispers that the Bulls have not completely ruled out using Lonzo Ball‘s insurance-covered contract in a trade to add talent.”