2. Not re-signing Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso not only became a fan-favorite on the Los Angeles Lakers but became the team’s most important perimeter defender. Caruso is legitimately one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, finishing second in Defensive Box Plus/Minus among guards last season behind Matisse Thybulle.
Caruso did not sign a big deal in the offseason. He and the Chicago Bulls agreed to a four-year, $37 million contract. The Lakers had Bird Rights on Caruso and even though they were over the cap they could have matched the offer.
The team ultimately didn’t because of tax reasons. Re-signing Caruso would have put them on an even higher tier above the tax, meaning that they would have not only had to pay the tax on Caruso’s salary but that they would have had to pay all the tax at a higher rate.
For that reason, the Lakers essentially had to decide between Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker and you cannot blame the team for siding with the younger player. That being said, if THT does not live up to his potential and the Lakers really struggle defensively then we are going to be looking at Caruso thriving in Chicago with sore eyes.
Fans should not have to worry about how much the team is paying in taxes and it is perfectly justifiable if a fan is upset that they didn’t just bite the bullet and pay more tax. They are a multi-billion-dollar sports franchise, after all.
However, it is a business and the Lakers’ reasons for moving on make sense.