After a somewhat disappointing season that saw them fail to live up to their preseason expectations, the Sacramento Kings are looking to rebound in 2024-25. They already took the first major step by locking up Malik Monk to a new contract. But Sacramento also made significant inroads on a deal with the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso before Chicago ended up shipping him to Oklahoma City, per Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic:
“The Kings already tried to use it for a significant roster upgrade. They were close to a trade for defensive ace Alex Caruso last week, according to league sources, offering the No. 13 pick to Chicago as the key chip. The Bulls, to the surprise of many within the league, instead opted to send Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey.”
The Kings, who are looking to add veteran help to their core of De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Monk, would have benefitted from adding a player like Caruso to the mix. Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and also shoots the 3-pointer at a 40 percent clip.
The Kings have been close on deals to improve their roster recently, but ultimately have come up empty-handed again. Caruso is just the latest example. Sacramento was close to a Pascal Siakam deal at the past trade deadline, but they ultimately lost out to the Indiana Pacers when Indiana paired the two-time All-Star with former King Tyrese Haliburton to make an Eastern Conference Finals run.
There were strong signs at the time Siakam would not re-sign with Sacramento if he had come. But that's the type of swing that the Kings must make if they want to reach the upper echelon of the Western Conference.
Bulls trade Alex Caruso to Thunder instead of Kings
The Bulls last week traded two-time All-Defensive guard Caruso to the Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey.
Giddey, who has always been recognized for his playmaking abilities as a longer, taller guard, now joins a Bulls team that desperately needs another ball handler next to Coby White. Chicago has long looked to replace Lonzo Ball as he deals with career-threatening knee injuries, and now they have done so with their acquisition of Giddey.
The Thunder earned the top spot in the Western Conference during the regular season with an impressive 57-25 record. Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has gone from being one of the youngest teams in the league to one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals.
After reaching the Western Conference Semifinals, GM Sam Presti decided to bring in Caruso, who adds championship experience and a strong defensive presence on the perimeter. Now the Thunder roll out a perimeter defense that includes Caruso, SGA, and Lu Dort.
Caruso was a highly coveted player around the NBA. With the Bulls still in the hunt for the playoffs, the front office made the decision to turn down offers involving first-round draft picks in order to keep the defensive star.
A few months later, Chicago has now moved on from Caruso for a 21-year-old playmaker who can bring the ball up the floor and still has room for immediate growth.
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