The fallout caused by the turmoil within the Chicago Bulls seems to be taking form right now. Zach LaVine appears to have made it abundantly clear that he no longer wants to remain in Chicago, but it also seems that he's not the only one that could be leaving. According to reports, it's actually more likely that it's Alex Caruso who ends up getting dealt in the near future.
LaVine's current contract situation reportedly makes him a more likely candidate to be traded away in the summer. The same can be said for DeMar DeRozan, who has now also emerged as a potential exit candidate amid all the drama in Chicago. Caruso, on the other hand, appears to be the more manageable trade asset for the Bulls in terms of facilitating his exit. At this point, “multiple teams are prepared to make offers for guard Alex Caruso should the Bulls make the decision to gauge the market on him,” reports Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.
According to an anonymous Eastern Conference executive, Caruso could be on his way out of Chicago soon:
“The guy to watch is (Alex) Caruso,” the exec said. “They have had talks about Coby White but he is going into free agency, and if you trade for him, you’ve got to pay him. No one is ready to take that leap with him. But Caruso has a contract that teams like (two years, $19 million after this season) and he is a good piece on a winning team. If we get into mid-January and they have not turned it around, look for a team that sees itself as a contender to make a run for him because he is really only an asset playing a role on a good team.”
The source also named a handful of teams that could show interest in Caruso if the Bulls actually place him on the trade block. This includes the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and of course, the Los Angeles Lakers:
“If they can get some draft capital back for Caruso, and maybe a player, that would suit them. Teams like Phoenix or Miami, both would be in a position to make a trade like that. Even the Warriors, they could send out a young guy, a guy like (James) Wiseman to get into win-now mode. Philadelphia, same thing, they could offer some of their young guys—Matisse Thybulle, Shake (Milton) and add another guy to make the salaries work. The Lakers certainly would like to have him back if they had the young guys to do it.
“If things don’t improve, Caruso is the guy most will be looking at in the short term. He has good trade value and would get something like 15 interested teams if he were up to be dealt.”
Alex Caruso will clearly have no shortage of suitors should the Bulls opt to make him available on the trade market. Chicago will expect to get some valuable assets in return too, which could come in the form of future draft capital if this team decides to blow it all up.
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