There is a common trend in sports with certain players that happens constantly and it’s very fun to point out. Certain players get the “became so overrated that they are now underrated” moniker because of how the general sports fan views them.
Some examples are Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, or Alex Caruso of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Caruso became a walking meme when he started becoming a constant fixture of the Lakers’ rotation solely because he looks more like a hooper that should be playing at his local 24-Hour Fitness instead of the NBA. That led to a lot of people overrating him, which led to the doubters, which has not led to him being underrated.
The fact of the matter is that Caruso is one of the best defensive guards in the entire league. The only guard that had a better Defensive Box Plus/Minus last season was Matisse Thybulle, who was named to the All-Defensive Second Team. If Thybulle and Caruso were more dynamic offensively and got more playing time they both would be candidates for All-Defensive First Team.
Caruso has shown more offensive versatility, particularly last season. He knocked down his three-point shots as an off-ball shooter when the Lakers needed him to and he was more comfortable bringing the ball up court and initiating. With elite defense, Caruso has legitimate value.
The problem with that is that other teams will be competing with the Los Angeles Lakers to sign Alex Caruso.
Caruso is a free agent this offseason and is going to have a relatively decent market. His previous contract was a two-year, $5.5 million deal and his next one should be worth more. Caruso should get something around a three-year, $20 million contract this offseason.
There are plenty of teams that can afford that and while the Lakers are strapped for cash, they do have the Bird Rights to go over the salary cap to re-sign Caruso. However, they also have to worry about Talen Horton-Tucker and the various positions they have to fill.
The hard cap is still in play, so while re-signing Caruso should be a priority, it is far from a guarantee. Caruso is also an unrestricted free agent, so he can sign with another team for similar money if he envisions a bigger role on said team.
Hopefully, he sticks around. If not, here are the teams to watch in free agency as competitors.