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Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has the autonomy to take the roster in any direction he sees fit, including a potential rebuild. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry reported as much in June 2023.
The Bulls continued to resist that path at this year’s trade deadline, finishing the season as the No. 9 seed and missing the postseason for the third time in four years.
A report from CHGO’s Will Gottlieb underscores just how detrimental their decision was.
“The Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them,” Gottlieb wrote on June 17. “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.
“Ultimately, they declined.”
Caruso averaged career highs with 10.1 points and 1.0 blocks per game while also tying his best mark with 1.7 steals. He also shot 40.8% on a career-high 4.7 attempts from beyond the arc. But Caruso’s greatest impact is how hard he hustles.
“Internally, the Bulls party line was that they would have to start searching for a Caruso replacement from the moment they traded him,” Gottlieb wrote.
Caruso has long been highly valued by the Bulls.
Alex Caruso a Proven Bargain for Bulls
The Bulls signed Caruso to a three-year, $36.9 million contract coming off a recent championship season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has earned two All-Defensive team selections since then and won the NBA’s Hustle Award winner this past season.
The team’s success has not reflected his impact.
Caruso led the Bulls in net efficiency differential among players with at least 1,000 possessions in his first two seasons, per Cleaning The Glass.
He only ceded the top spot to breakout star Coby White this past season.
There are annual concerns about overextending his minutes. Caruso has missed at least eight games in every season of his career, averaging 59.6 appearances over his Bulls tenure. He did set career highs in appearances over the last two seasons, though.
That includes a career-best 71 this past season. He is also due for a sizeable raise from his $9.9 million salary in 2024-25 on his next contract.
“Caruso’s $37 million contract signed in 2021 is considered one of the great value deals in the NBA. The guard is considered one of the top wing defenders in the league,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks wrote. “He finished the season ranked first in deflections, sixth in steals and 15th in total charges taken. The Bulls were outscored by 7.2 points per 100 possessions with Caruso off the court. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $78.8 million extension starting on July 6.”
Bulls in Tricky Situation With Alex Caruso, Rest of Roster
Gottlieb notes a “mandate” from Bulls ownership to push for the playoffs this past season, perhaps explaining their reluctance to trade away Caruso or any other players of note at the trade deadline.
It remains unclear how far Karnisovas is willing to go. He continues to suggest rebuilding is not on his radar though.
The Bulls want to re-sign DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams.
Doing that will put them above the luxury tax threshold for the first time in more than 20 years, underscoring the consternation about the Bulls’ plan. Ownership has gone on record to speak against overspending.
It is more difficult to argue for spending on a perennial Play-In Tournament team like the Bulls have been.
But that has often had a direct correlation to competing and winning.
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