Alex Caruso Explains Decision To Leave Lakers For Bulls

Alex Caruso, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, NBA
NBA Analysis Network

One of the most impactful acquisitions made this offseason in the NBA was the Chicago Bulls signing Alex Caruso away from the Los Angeles Lakers. Caruso signed a four-year, $37 million deal with the Bulls that drew some headlines, but as it turns out, deserved a lot more attention than it received.

Caruso has been one of the driving forces behind the Bulls’ excellent start this season. They have a record of 11-6 and are in second place in the Eastern Conference, behind the 12-5 Brooklyn Nets.

Alex Caruso, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M, worked hard to earn the contract that he received from the Bulls. He spent time in the G League before breaking through with the Lakers, becoming part of their rotation en route to an NBA Championship in the Orlando Bubble in 2020 to cashing in as a free agent.

The former Aggie never wanted to leave the Lakers in free agency. He had hoped to return to Los Angeles, but when he was presented with a low-ball offer, he looked elsewhere. The Bulls are the team he landed with, and he recently discussed what drew him to The Windy City.

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He recently caught up with HoopsHype to discuss a multitude of topics. One of them was the free agency pitch that the Bulls presented him with. Chicago offered him a lot more money than the Los Angeles Lakers did, but their game plan for him was a selling point.

“They just described how I play basketball. They talked about me being an athletic, playmaking guard. [Coach] Billy Donovan talked to me about how he thought my passing ability has been a little bit underrated because I didn’t have the ball in my hands over the past couple of years when I was in Los Angeles. I thought that was true. That was something that I thought I could bring to the team in a positive way. We talked about being tough, having a little bit of grit, being a defensive-minded player, being somebody that plays for the team and plays for other guys and brings guys along. I thought they described it perfectly. I thought that was a situation where I could go in and be myself. I think that’s probably why I’m having so much success early with Chicago.”

Alex Caruso has fit in perfectly thus far with the Bulls. Before his wrist injury, he was moved into the starting lineup to play some minutes at power forward as the team was shorthanded with Patrick Williams sidelined for months and Nikola Vucevic being put in the league’s health and safety protocols.

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It wasn’t a move that phased Alex Caruso in the slightest, as he continued doing his thing in the starting five. He is the ultimate glue guy, knocking down timely shots, bringing consistent energy and playing high-level defense.

The Chicago Bulls are happy to have landed him, as Alex Caruso is proving to be one of the biggest steals of free agency.

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