The Chicago Bulls are looking like a team to watch at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. They are stuck in the middle at 23-27 and ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have become the poster boys for the play-in tournament, which is not what any team wants to be.
But they have a couple of players that other teams should want that can fetch the Bulls valuable draft capital should they blow it up and undertake a rebuild. One of those players is Alex Caruso.
Every team needs players like Caruso. He made the All-Defensive First-Team in 2023 and has not slowed down on that end of the floor this season. But Caruso has been the best he's ever been on offense. He is posting career-highs in points per game (ten), field goal attempts (7.3), field goal percentage (58.6%), three-point attempts (4.4), three-point percentage (40.5%), and effective field goal percentage (60.5%).
Caruso's trade value is immensely high. He will fetch at least one first-round pick and maybe even more than that. Every team should and will want him. But a couple of teams, in particular, stand out as great destinations for Caruso if the Bulls indeed look to trade him before Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers
Why not start with the team that Caruso put himself on the map with? Everyone knows that he would fit well with LeBron James and Anthony Davis because he won a championship with those guys. Not only would Caruso be a perfect match, but the Lakers also desperately need him.
Los Angeles has had a rough go of it defending guards. Against the Houston Rockets, Jalen Green scored 34 points on 12-23 shooting and added 12 rebounds and seven assists. While the Lakers beat the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson torched them for 36 points on 15-31 shooting. Those are only a couple of examples, but there are a ton more from recent games.
Not only does Los Angeles have trouble defending guards, but they won't have their best option at doing so for the rest of the season. Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a foot injury in the Lakers' upset win over the Boston Celtics that will potentially hold him out the rest of the season. While Gabe Vincent would be a potential defensive option, he has played only one game since October 30th.
The Lakers want to make the most of every year they have with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If they could find a way to get Caruso back, they'd be doing exactly that by filling perhaps the biggest need on their roster.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have already made their big move by trading for Pascal Siakam, but they still have chips they can use. Getting Caruso would go a long way at fixing their 26th-ranked defense.
Aaron Nesmith has been a revelation defensively on the wing for the Pacers, and Siakam bolsters their frontcourt defense as well. But Myles Turner has taken a bit of a stepback on that end of the floor and their backcourt is lacking stoppers. Haliburton holds his own on that end, but with the burden he has to carry on offense, no one can blame him for saving some energy there.
Caruso would be the perfect running mate with Haliburton. Caruso is also a super smart and active cutter without the ball, which would be a perfect fit next to Haliburton's extravagant playmaking ability. Trading for Siakam firmly established the Pacers as a playoff team. But dealing for Caruso will make them even scarier.
Follow Us
Subscribe