Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shouts to his team.
The increase in age across the Golden State Warriors‘ backcourt has led to a dip in defensive prowess, which the team may be able to address via the trade market this summer.
Klay Thompson may be headed elsewhere once free agency hits, which will leave an opening in the Dubs’ backcourt. There are multiple candidates to assume his role alongside Stephen Curry if Golden State doesn’t add another guard to the mix, but Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls would be an interesting fit.
The Bleacher Report Scouting Department on Thursday, June 6, put together a list of a single trade proposal for every NBA team not playing in the Finals. The group’s suggestion for the Warriors is a deal that flips Moses Moody, Gary Payton II and a 2026 lottery-protected first-round pick to Chicago in return for Caruso.
Caruso could help the Warriors return to form on D. He graded out last year as the best backcourt defender in the league (among those who played at least 20 games) by Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus and has been an All-Defensive honoree in each of the past two seasons.
One could argue Gary Payton II is close to Caruso’s level when healthy, but his 44 appearances last season were the second most of his career. For him, “when healthy” has been, well … basically, never.
Alex Caruso Can Help Warriors’ Defense Climb Back Toward Championship Level
GettyAlex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls.
Golden State’s dynastic run between 2014-22, which includes six trips to the NBA Finals and four titles, was as much about defense as it was about 3-point shooting.
B/R noted in its trade pitch that the Dubs were a top nine team in defensive efficiency in seven of eight of those seasons. One of the two in which they weren’t (2019-20), the team failed to make the playoffs.
Caruso can’t replace the shooting Golden State will lose if Thompson departs, but he can significantly up the team’s defensive capabilities with regards to other backcourts. Caruso finished fifth in the NBA in All-Defensive voting shares two years ago and was sixth in the same category last year, per Basketball Reference.
He also averaged career-highs with 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Bulls in 2023-24, along with 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals.
Warriors’ Backcourt May Look Very Different Next Season if Klay Thompson, Chris Paul Depart
GettyKlay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors have several interesting decisions to make this offseason beyond how to approach the free agency of Thompson, a 13-year veteran and five-time All-Star who has played the entirety of his career with the Warriors.
Backup point guard Chris Paul is under contract for one more season at $30 million, though the Dubs can wipe that money off their books by releasing the 39-year-old this month. Golden State could then compete for his services in free agency at a vastly reduced price, though the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are more likely pairings considering Paul’s family remains based in L.A.
Exits by both Thompson and Paul would clear a combined $74 million from last year’s salary cap. And while their departures would also deplete the depth at the guard positions, they would also increase Golden State’s flexibility to pivot to a new roster construction.
Caruso, now 30 years old, is due $9.9 million on the final year of his $37 million contract in 2024-25, though the Bulls will need to officially declare the defensive specialist available via trade for the Warriors to pursue him.