Alex Caruso‘s contract with the Los Angeles Lakers is up soon. At the end of the season, the two-year deal he signed back in July 2019 will expire and he will become an unrestricted free agent.
His numbers might not be eye-popping, as he is averaging 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists, but Alex was a big part of the Lakers’ championship run last season and he remains so this year as well.
Caruso has quickly become a fan favorite in Los Angeles as a homegrown development project and with his story of overachieving. Undrafted in 2017, after a strong showing on the Lakers Summer League Team, he earned a two-way deal and eventually carved his way to the 15-man roster through the G League.
For the last few years, the Texas A&M product has been the glue-guy of the team. Although his impact is not completely quantifiable on the stat sheet, his contribution remains crucial for the success of the Lakers. His defense is top-notch and one of the reasons for the LA being the best one in the league.
Per 36 minutes, he projects to 1.9 steals per game and sports a 2.1 defensive box plus/minus. He is also shooting a team-leading 43.8 percent from three on a career-high 2.3 attempts. The 10.8 in plus/minus seals the deal.
Of course, all of this happens in just 18 minutes of playing time, but that is exactly why Caruso is a great role player. In such limited playing time, he manages to have a great impact. He is a two-way player, able to play on and off the ball, extremely unselfish and ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of the team. Losing him would represent a big drawback for the Lakers’ locker room and rotation.
This summer, general manager Rob Pelinka is already going to face a hard task trying to re-sign upcoming free agents Dennis Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker.
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Bringing back Caruso adds to the stack of impending moves he will need to address.
The 6’4″ guard is currently on a super-friendly $2.75 million contract. The Lakers will hold the early bird rights on him, meaning that they will be able to offer up to $10 million (105% of the league-average salary) beyond the salary cap.
This provides the front office some assurance they will have the chance to reach an agreement with Caruso and his agent that is fair on both parts. But, although his numbers don’t project for a big market value, some team might sneak in to offer him more money for a bigger role.
On these Lakers he has been relegated to the job of factotum off the bench, deferring to his more talented teammates, but two years ago he proved he could run a second unit as a point guard with an expanded role.
Through the final 18 games of 2019, he averaged 12.4 points and 4.2 assists shooting 46.9 percent from the arc. As a starter in the last four, he went for 17.8 points, 8.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds. This showing was enough to grant him a guaranteed contract, but his role was drastically reduced and revised to fit a championship contender already counting on great point guard talent.
A rebuilding team looking for some talent to take a chance on could throw some over-the-top money and see how things unfold.
Hence, how much is Alex Caruso really worth to the Los Angeles Lakers?
Given Alex’s path and current $2.75 million annual contract, something around a $5 million offer looks like a fair one. He has proven to be a hardly replaceable piece of this team and deserves the right consideration.
He does things nobody else does, the intangibles and the intensity are upfront in his game and his presence on the floor brings really an added value to the Lakers’ game. Still, he accepts a reduced role, willing to adapt to what the game asks from him without overdoing it.
An important role player LA cannot afford to lose but do not be surprised if some team comes up offering something in the range of $8 million per year. In this case, the Lakers could let him leave, as they might not be willing to fall too much in the luxury tax with all the big money they are going to already have committed for their main guys.
CaruShow is loved in Los Angeles and everybody hopes he will be a part of the next iteration of the Lakers once LeBron James retires. Such a good veteran would be a great founding stone for the transition and rebuilding of a new era of Lakers basketball.